Page One: ‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

Written by Alex Garland

Here is the movie version of the scene:

This is a good example of what I think is an emerging trend: Leap into the story. Caleb goes from his office desk to Nathan’s remote compound in all of three minutes. This indicates two things: (1) Audiences want stories to get up and go right away. (2) They don’t need as much exposition for context.

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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