Directed by Michael Haneke Something is amiss in the picturesque village of The White Ribbon. You can almost imagine Nicolas Cage or Jake Gittes riding in, called upon to investigate the (possible) supernatural at play. But here there is no one riding in. We are insulated in this village, seeing it through the eyes of … Continue reading The White Ribbon (2009)

Directed by Shana Feste Written by Shana Feste, Keith Josef Adkins, Kellee Terrell ACT 1: 00:00-30:00 Sequence 1 = 00:00-18:39 Office: CHERIE's report of overheard harassment is ignored-->Bus: Phone call with boss (James)--He says she double-booked him, tells her to take client meeting in his place//harassed by man on bus-->Home: establish her daughter, friend comes … Continue reading Run Sweetheart Run (2022)//Story Structure

No but it's pretty great. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur Beast is a survival movie, a cat and mouse movie. It's a B-movie, in other words, with modest ambition and thrills that aren't quite as cheap as you might initially expect them to be. It's a story about a doctor (Idris Elba) and his two teenaged … Continue reading Is ‘Beast’ the best movie of 2022?

Directed by Michael Morris Look Around you/look down the bar room/at the faces that you see/are you sure this is where you want to be? Leslie: "Is that a joke?" -- Leslie (Andrea Riseborough) sits alone in a bar, slouched and smoking a limp cigarette. The camera dollies towards her while those lyrics play from … Continue reading To Leslie (2022)

Written by Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues Act 1: 0:00-31:00 Sequence 1 = 0:00-10:21 COLD OPEN-->Routine Burglary-->Car/Alex's father's office (exposition)-->Money's new Lead//Cafeteria (Exposition & INCITING INCIDENT)-->Alex in his room (Rocky's appeal over text)//Rocky's troubled home life//Alex says he's in. We meet ROCKY, MONEY & ALEX. They are young, they rob houses in Detroit, and their goal … Continue reading Don’t Breathe (2016)//Story Structure

Directed by Fede Alvarez Actual Story Structure Analysis The film, as told through select subtitles: [heavy breathing] [gunshot] [body being dragged across the floor] [whimpering] Alex: Let's go. [drill whirring] [sniffing] Blind Man: Hmm. [beeps and blips] [door creaks] x100 [muffled moans] Alex: We need to get the fuck out of here. [slight gasps] [both … Continue reading Don’t Breathe (2016)

Directed by David Dobkin Clay Pigeons plays out like a noir until the protagonist is let off the hook and forced to do battle with an unbelievable villain. Clay (Joaquin Phoenix) is put in an unfortunate position when his best friend, having discovered that Clay and his wife were conducting an affair, kills himself and … Continue reading Scattered thoughts on Clay Pigeons (1998)