10 More Subtle Signs Movie Characters Weren't Telling The Truth

Christopher Nolan's superb Memento is a unique example on this list because the character in question isn't lying to other people, but in fact himself.

Early in the film, amnesiac protagonist Leonard (Guy Pearce) recounts the story of Sammy Jankis (Stephen Tobolowsky), a fellow amnesiac who accidentally administered an insulin overdose to his wife due to having no memory of giving her a shot.

Leonard returns to the Sammy story throughout the film, and deep into the third act, we cut back to Sammy once again, yet in the final shot of the flashback, Sammy is replaced by Leonard for maybe a half-second before the scene abruptly cuts away.

Now, this visual is certainly noticeable on a first viewing unless you blink at the wrong time or are watching while on your phone (you scoundrel), though the significance of it isn't immediately apparent.

It's subsequently revealed that Sammy Jankis' story is actually Leonard's own, that he accidentally killed his wife with insulin injections while suffering from amnesia, and he repressed this memory, in turn constructing a murder-mystery narrative for himself to solve in order to escape his guilt.

At first you might assume the fleeting visual of Leonard-as-Sammy is nothing more than a flourish nodding toward the film's generally tricky, cerebral nature, but it's straight-up telling you that Leonard isn't being honest with himself or the audience.