This Back to the Future Detail That Gets Rediscovered Every Year Is Why It’s Perfect

40 years later, Back to the Future remains a timeless time-travel classic, and part of the reason why is in the small details. The movie is a classic of the Sci-Fi genre, and its sequels, while not quite as great, make it one of the best trilogies in cinema history. From the amazing chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, to its razor-sharp script, it’s a film that holds up to multiple rewatches, constantly enthralling fans new and old alike.

One of the biggest and best examples of this is a key detail from the movie: the change from Twin Pines Mall to the Lone Pine Mall. When Marty McFly first travels back to 1955, he runs over one of the pine trees at the location. When he returns to 1985, we see that the sign displaying the mall’s name has changed, signifying how Marty accidentally changed the future when he went back into the past. There’s a good chance that, if you’ve spent any time on the internet over the past 20 years, you’ve heard this, and likely more than once.

The Lone Pine Mall Detail Highlights Back To The Future’s Rewatchability

It seems to go viral every single year, with someone pointing it out for the “first” time. Honestly, I used to be a little cynical about this, rolling my eyes: how could you not have noticed?! But I’ve realized this is all part of the magic of the movie, what makes it so special, and why it holds up to so many rewatches. Because there’s always something new to notice, hidden depths to plumb, and a cool or fun detail to spot in almost every scene.

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Whether it’s all the clocks in the opening, which include a figure hanging from one of them, teasing Doc Brown on the clock tower at the very end, the Statler family having transportation businesses in 1885, 1955, and 1985, the single frame where (maybe) original Marty actor Eric Stoltz is performing in the role, or 88 other fun details, Easter eggs, or clues, there’s so much to get immersed in and discover, no matter how many times you’ve seen the movie.

Back to the Future holds up today because it feels comforting and nostalgic, but simultaneously fresh. That speaks to just how original it was, how likable the characters are, and how fantastic the plot is. All the little details help add up to make it one of the most rewatchable movies ever that you can simply never get tired of watching, because there’s just non-stop fun and care in every frame of the movie, and it’ll always be perfect, time and time again.

Back to the Future is streaming on Netflix, but leaves at the end of November!

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