Modern cinema isn’t just about thrilling and inspiring stories; it also creates a whole set of amusing myths that we often take for truth, thanks to the creativity of writers and directors. Here are three striking examples. You won’t be fooled by filmmakers anymore!
Instant Freezing
Disaster movies love to show the planet turning into an icy wasteland in just a matter of days. For instance, in The Day After Tomorrow, a global ice age takes over in just a week. In reality, this is entirely impossible—even in the event of a massive catastrophe, it would take not just years but centuries for Earth to completely freeze over.
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Chloroform That Knocks You Out Instantly
Chloroform, often portrayed in movies as a universal “off switch” for consciousness, doesn’t work nearly as quickly in real life. To knock someone out, you’d need a large amount of it and several minutes for it to take effect. Plus, chloroform evaporates almost instantly, making it difficult to keep it on a cloth long enough to work.
Conversations During Freefall
Cinematic parachutists having full-on conversations mid-air might look dramatic, but it has nothing to do with reality. Until the parachute opens, wind blows in your face at speeds of up to 190 km/h (118 mph), making talking virtually impossible. That’s why real skydivers communicate using hand signals instead of words. But filmmakers love drama, even when physics says "no."
