People can't believe Keira Knightley's age gap in Love Actually

Love Actually is one of those movies which has aged a bit weirdly, some parts of it which seemed sweet in cinemas don't quite hold up all these years later.

For example, why the hell does Emma Thompson's character stick around after she gets the Joni Mitchell CD for Christmas?

That's far from the only problem with the movie, which has grown a bit more controversial in recent years, but one thing which really surprises people is the age gap Keira Knightley has with other actors in the film.

She was just 18 when the film was made, putting her only five years older than Thomas Brodie-Sangster was in the same movie.

What's more, Chiwetel Ejiofor - who played Keira's husband in the movie - was 26 at the time of filming, meaning the eight-year age gap between the on-screen married couple is actually larger than that between Keira and Thomas.

Meanwhile, Andrew Lincoln (better known these days from The Walking Dead) was 30.

Every Christmas people stumble upon this bit of film trivia, prompting an explosion of the mind which ripples across social media:

Just found out that I’m the last person to learn there was only a five year age gap between Thomas Brodie-Sangster (13) and Keira Knightley (18) when they filmed Love Actually. I will not be taking questions at this time. pic.twitter.com/W3Sfezla4v

— feminist next door (@emrazz) November 1, 2020

Yearly reminder that there is only a five year age gap between Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Keira Knightley in Love Actually pic.twitter.com/d9fLRk4ddF

— Craig (@thefultonizer) December 9, 2021

In the film, Knightley's Juliet is married to Peter (Ejiofor), and they've been together long enough for the latter's best pal Mark (Andrew Lincoln) to fall in love with her. Not creepy at all.

Then you've got Brodie-Sangster's Sam, a kid who looks around 10-years-old and is in love with his classmate, despite having never spoken to her. Again, not creepy at all.

In fact, comedian George Fox did a deep dive on all the issues he had with the Richard Curtis film.

Kicking things off, he wrote: "My girlfriend made me watch the movie Love Actually for the first time ever last night and I would like to discuss what an absolute f***ing unceasing nightmare every single scene in it is.

First on the agenda, he took aim at Hugh Grant's character, the Prime Minister.

George ranted: "One of the main characters is your normal every day ACTUAL PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN. And his storyline is he wants to do the tea lady at Number 10.

"He literally just moved in and wants to pork the help and it is never framed as anything but the upmost rOmAnCe!?!"

Next up, he criticised Liam Neeson's story arc.

He continued: "Next up we have Liam Neeson whose wife just died. Leaving him to raise a stepson alone. In an early scene he breaks down crying and EMMA THOMPSON says 'Get a grip, people hate Sissies. No-one's ever gonna s**g you if you cry all the time.'"

"This is THE DAY AFTER THE FUNERAL!?!"

As for Colin Firth: "Oh hey did you find the Hugh Grant storyline creepy? Well guess what. They have a completely different character with the EXACT SAME STORYLINE except this time the hired help CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH.

"WHAT F***ING NIGHTMARE IS THIS FILM!?!?"

To be honest, it might be best to just let yourself get swept up in all the romance and not think too much about the dubious details.