Page One: “Near Dark” (1987)

Written by Eric Red & Kathryn Bigelow

A trailer for the movie:

The script is an example of “haiku style” writing. Other examples:

Individual lines of description. 
Instead of wraparound, each line ends with shift-enter…
To the next line.
Shane Black uses a variation of this approach:

If it serves your story, consider using the “haiku style” approach.

You may read the screenplay here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

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.