There must have been times when you’ve watched a movie and went “Wait a minute, is that what I think it is?” Either it’s there on purpose, or just your imagination, you’d pause and rewind to watch again. If that’s you, check out these most paused movie scenes of all time!
Since its release in 1997, Titanic has been such a classic for all moviegoers. It’s not a surprise that the scene when Rose asks Jack to draw her naked with the heart of the ocean on her neck is the most paused one in the movie. It’s such an important scene as well since the drawing itself leads everyone to the shipwreck years later.
In The Matrix, everyone’s expecting Neo to truly become “The One.” After a few mess-ups, people start to doubt his power. Then, the most paused scene shows up where Neo calmly stops all bullets that are shooting at him in mid-air. Such an incredible moment has stayed in the memory of audiences since 1999.
The most iconic Marilyn Monroe’s pose is her laughing and covering herself when her white dress gets blown up by the air. Well, the scene that made her such a star comes from the 1955 movie, The Seven Year Itch. It’s such a beautiful moment that people have continued to pause it ever since!
It doesn’t need much explanation why the interrogation scene in Basic Instinct is most paused unless you’re not a real movie lover. When Catherine Tramell, played by Sharon Stone, was in question about the murder of her rock star boyfriend, the way she laid back in the seat was really breath-taking.
In the 2006 comedy, She’s the Man, Amanda Bynes’ character Viola pretends to be her twin brother Sebastian and gets in the school all-male soccer team. After several misunderstandings, things get complicated, so Viola pulls her shirt up to prove she’s a woman. You can guess why that scene gets so many pauses.
It seems that most guys would prefer to pause movies for a few, let’s just say, naughty moments. In the Wolf of Wall Street, Margot Robbie’s part beats all other memorable moments and gets paused the most. In the nursery scene, she is teasing Jordan with the “no touching” rule while looking extremely charming.
There’s Something About Mary remains a comedy classic even after over 20 years. While numerous scenes have brought laughter, nothing beats where the teenage Ben Stiller gets his manhood trapped in the zipper before the prom. With absolutely no need to pause for that scene, many still do just for a possible close-up.
All Spider-Man films have their own sparkles, but many fans still consider the first movie the best. One of the many reasons is the epic upside-down kiss in the rain, which also turns out to be the most paused scene of the movie.
Rumor has it that the most paused scene in the 1994 Disney classic, The Lion King, is when Simba, Pumbaa, and Timon are gazing up at the stars on the cliff. Many believe that the stars form S-E-X, but they’re actually S-F-X as a nod to the film’s art and special effects department.
Out of all the popular Marvel Studios films, the most paused scene occurs in Thor: The Dark World. When Dr. Selvig madly scribbled gibberish all over a chalkboard in the mental health facility, many pause to read what he’s written only to find out that they’re all real astronomical and mathematical equations and theories.
Even for non-horror moviegoers, there is something to like in The Cabin in the Woods. Similar to the aforementioned Thor movie, the most paused scene in this film is the whiteboard scene when they list horror figures and archetypes. If you have a closer look, you’d realize many of them can actually be found in the movie.
The Phantom Menace may be one of the least favorite Star Wars films, but there are still a lot of scenes that get paused for closer looks. The most paused one takes place in Episode I’s galactic senate scene where Asogians (E.T.-like aliens) can be seen.
In Star Wars: A New Hope, there is a scene where a door lifts up, and stormtroopers swarm in. If you take a closer look, one of them actually hits his head on the bottom of the door. However, you may not realise that director George Lucas actually edited it after realizing the incident.
In 2013 Man of Steel, a moment during the final battle between Superman and the Kryptonian General Zod, became the most paused scene of the movie. When the fight takes the two into outer space, they crash into a satellite, and you can see a logo that says “Wayne” on it, which is an obvious reference to Superman’s counterpart Bruce Wayne, Batman.
If you haven’t seen the movie Fight Club yet, you probably should before continuing reading this. At the end of the movie, Brad Pitt’s character turns out to be a figment of Edward Norton’s role. For those who have watched carefully, they may have guessed this after seeing Durden a few times before he made his official appearance.
In Three Men and a Baby, the scene where a young man is seen standing behind a curtain in a weird ghostly visage has had millions of pauses. Rumor had it that the film was shot in a haunted house, but filmmakers dismissed it, and the figure actually turned out to be a promotional cardboard cutout.
Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction has also made it on the list. The most paused scene is also one of the most famous and is when Jules and Vincent successfully dodge those bullets. However, if you look close enough, you’ll see that some bullet holes are on the wall before the gunfight begins.
The Wizard of the Oz also has a moment that has caused many to press the pause button so they can figure out what’s happening. Some claim that there is a body hanging and swinging during a forest scene. Well, it later turned out to be a bad quality piece of film, but you may still want to take a closer look in an HD version.
Disney loves to put hidden surprises for fans in their movies. One of the most subtle moments appears in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. When Quasimodo is singing high above the city, you can actually see Belle from Beauty and the Beast reading a book, Pumbaa from The Lion King, and the Carpet from Aladdin.
In The Back-up Plan, Jennifer Lopez’s character is pregnant, and the whole process is chronicled. It seems many of J-Lo’s fans would pause the film for a look at her backside and realize it’s not actually her, but a body double. If you still can’t believe it, go check yourself!
