Script Analysis: ‘Antebellum’ — Part 4: Themes

Read the script for this horror mystery from the producer of ‘Get Out.’

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:

Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Dialogue
Saturday: Takeaways

Today: Themes.

I have this theory about theme. In two parts. First, a principle: Theme = Meaning. What does the story mean? Second, while there is almost always a Central Theme, there are multiple other Sub-Themes at play in a story. Therefore the question: What does a story mean takes on several layers of meaning?

Time to ponder themes in Antebellum. You may download the script here.

Written and directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz.

Plot Summary: Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late.

Writing Exercise: Explore the themes in the movie. What is its Central Theme? What are some of the related Sub-Themes?

Major kudos to Rose Banks for doing this week’s scene-by-scene breakdown.

To download a PDF of the breakdown for Antebellum, go here.

An interview with the writer-directors of the movie:

For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown discussion, go here.

For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here.

For Part 3, to read the Character discussion, go here.

To access over 90 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here.

I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this week’s script: Antebellum.