top of page


THE GOOD LIAR – FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS. IT’S GOING TO BE A BUMPY NIGHT
Each screenplay serves three masters: the story, the characters, and the writer (or filmmaker). And if all three are equally satisfied,...
andy8534
4 min read


The Killer - With Sequences Like These, Who Needs Acts?
“Of those who like to put their faith in mankind's inherent goodness, I have to ask... based on what exactly?” –The Killer Reminiscent of...
andy8534
4 min read


Hud - This Plot Is Not Big Enough For The Two Of Us
Hud. A neo-western (if there’s neo-noir, why not neo-western?), which seems plotless and is centered around the titular character, who...
Ivo Raza
3 min read


Three Days Of The Condor - Mining Zeitgeist For Suspense
Three Days Of The Condor MINING THE ZEITGEIST FOR GRAVITAS Three Days Of The Condor is a political thriller about a fringe CIA outfit,...
andy8534
5 min read


Red Rocket – No Arc, No Problem
After reading all the screenwriting books out there. OK, perhaps not all, but almost, a pattern emerges, certain claims...and one such...
Ivo Raza
4 min read


Vengeance - Beware The Meandering Tone
At its heart, Vengeance is a mystery. Ben, the main character, is a jaded New Yorker, someone who despite being a writer for New Yorker...
andy8534
4 min read


Emily The Criminal - Setting as Subtext
Emily the Criminal is a sparse dramatic thriller set in present-day Los Angeles. The titular character Emily is a woman in her thirties,...
Ivo Raza
4 min read


Midnight Run - It's The Relationship, Man
As I read Midnight Run the one thing that stood out was that the plot was unremarkable. It ticked all the boxes and was completely...
Ivo Raza
5 min read


Snatch - Parallel Plots
Snatch is a dual story narrative about an illegal boxing promoter, who gets in trouble with a mob boss, and a diamond heist of a massive...
andy8534
4 min read


The Bourne Identity - That Escalated Quickly
“The very smallest thing with Bourne was, ‘If I don’t know who I am and I don’t know where I’m from, perhaps I can identify who I am by...
Ivo Raza
4 min read


Point Break (1991) - Setups, Payoffs, and Presidential Characters
POINT BREAK An action crime story about a rookie FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate a group of Sothern California surfers...
andy8534
6 min read


Sexy Beast – Questions as Structure, Goals as Stakes
Sexy Beast is a crime drama about retired British gangster Gal Dove, who lives in Spain with his wife Deedee. They hang out with another...
Ivo Raza
6 min read


Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – Romance Wrapped In Bromance
A NY thief (Harry) escaping after a botched robbery, stumbles into an audition and is transported to LA where he undergoes PI training...
Ivo Raza
4 min read


The Sting – Trust The Theme
The Sting – Trust The Theme “What makes you think you can trust him?” A crime caper film set in prohibition-era Chicago about two con...
Ivo Raza
4 min read


In Bruges - Expected Elements In Unexpected Ways
A dark comedy about two UK hitmen who are spending a few days in Bruges. As the story unfolds, we learn that one of them, Ray, has...
Ivo Raza
5 min read


The Fugitive - Soul Resolves Plot
The Fugitive is one of those films that when you’re flipping through channels, and it’s on, you will watch, or re-watch, it. This has...
Ivo Raza
4 min read


A History Of Violence - A Screenplay Structured Around Questions
A seemingly simple premise is developed into a meaningful story using an overall question as the main driver, rather than a goal. On the...
Ivo Raza
4 min read


Out Of Sight - Character/Dialog/Charm
Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard Written by Scott Frank Directed by Steven Soderbergh Sisco: I’m a sales rep, and I came here to call...
Ivo Raza
4 min read
bottom of page