Script Analysis: “Hell or High Water” — Scene By Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene breakdown. It is precisely what it sounds like: A list of all the scenes in the script accompanied by a brief description of the events that transpire.

For purposes of this exercise, I have a slightly different take on scene. Here I am looking not just for individual scenes per se, but a scene or set of scenes that comprise one event or a continuous piece of action. Admittedly this is subjective and there is no right or wrong, the point is simply to break down the script into a series of parts which you then can use dig into the script’s structure and themes.

The value of this exercise:

• We pare down the story to its most constituent parts: Scenes.
• By doing this, we consciously explore the structure of the narrative.
• A scene-by-scene breakdown creates a foundation for even deeper analysis of the story.

Today: Hell or High Water (2016). You may download a copy of the script here.

Written by Taylor Sheridan.

IMDb plot summary: A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s ranch in West Texas.

Hell or High Water
Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
by Andrew Lightfoot
GoIntoTheStory.blcklst.com

P 1–4. It’s opening time for a First Texas Bank branch in Archer City Texas. The second one of the bank’s employees opens the door two robbers barge in. They demand the money that is in the drawers, but to their dismay they are empty. At gunpoint, the employee tells the two that the money is locked in the safe and the man who has the key for it will arrive here at 8:30. When 8:30 hits the man arrives. The second he waltzes into the bank he has a pistol placed to his temple.
 
 P 4–6. The two robbers, brothers Tanner and Toby Hanson, now make their getaway from the bank in a 1988 Chevy Camaro. As they flee, they spot a sheriff’s cruiser flying towards them. Toby, being the more anxious of the two tells his brother to slow. Tanner waves him off saying “I ain’t speeding” . The cruiser passes without issue making their robbery a success. With a little encouragement from Tanner, Toby agrees to hit the branch in Olney.
 
 P 6–8. The First Texas Bank in Olney has a customer. An elderly man is in the bank with a collection of coins he found in his barn when Toby and Tanner enter. In a flash, they take control. Toby frisks the old man and finds a pistol on him. He places the weapon on a countertop nearby as Tanner gets the teller to grab the money. On their exit, the old man snatches up his gun and fires at the fleeing brothers. The old man exits the bank ready for a gunfight, but only sees empty streets.
 
 P 8–10. Back in the Camaro, Tanner laughs about being shot at and immediately wants to go hit the branch in Jayton. Toby shuts that idea down saying they need to do the robbing early in the morning when there are no customers. He tells his brother they will be robbing banks all week, much to Tanner’s joy as he tells Toby “Can’t nobody stop us … We like the Comanches, little brother. Lords of the plains… Raiding where we please, with the whole of Texas huntin’ our shadow.” . 
 
 P 10–12. The Texas Rangers Office, we meet Marcus Hamilton, a 70-year-old ranger, he looks over a Mandatory Retirement Referendum. The state of the letter tells us he’s done this a lot. His partner, Alberto Parker enters his office, and after a bit of back and forth playful jokes about their similar dress styles, Alberto mentions that the bank robberies are in their jurisdiction, which perks Marcus right up.
 
 P 12–18. The brothers are back at the family ranch where they bury their getaway car in a pit they made earlier, and discuss what to do next. Tanner learns that he was left out of their mother’s will and that everything is going to Toby’s boys. They discuss their mother and the abuse she suffered from their father. Tanner explains that he was purposely left out of the will because Tanner never put up with the beatings, which is why he ended up shooting his father.
 
 P 18–24. Marcus and Parker arrive at the bank in Archer City where they get basic information about the robbers due to not having surveillance video available to them. After being told the robbers only take the small bills, which can’t be traced, Marcus suspects these robbers are trying to raise a certain amount and that more banks need to be robbed to get it.
 
 P 24–26. Tanner and Toby are in a diner, Toby’s boys are the subject of their discussion. Tanner encourages Toby to go see them the next day, but due to owed child support payments, Toby refuses saying they will have to rob another bank to make up for that visit. Tanner excuses himself from the table to go to the washroom. Soon after, a waitress, Jenny Ann, begins talking with Toby.
 
 P 26–27. Tanner hasn’t gone to the washroom. Instead, he is in the bank across the street and is now robbing it. He holds the young and petrified teller at gunpoint and takes her driver’s license threatening to go to her house and kill everyone he sees if she talks to the police.
 
 P 27–30. Toby and the waitress are now flirting with one another. When he gets the tab, Toby pays the $18.49 tab with $200, leaving a nice tip for her. Toby leaves and walks to the car where he sees Tanner running towards him. The boys jump in and speed off, Tanner shows Toby the money he got from the bank he just robbed exclaiming “Bet you don’t owe this much in child support” Back in the bank the manager realizes what has happened and hits the silent alarm sending the young teller into a panic.
 
 P 30. Marcus’s phone goes off, he get’s Parker to answer it due to him driving. They get word of the bank robbery done by Tanner, they pull a U-turn and head back they way they came.
 
 P 30–31. Back at the Ranch, they have just buried another car, Toby is placing Peach trees in the dirt above where the car is. He is irritated at this minor setback.
 
 P 31–35. On route to the latest robbery, Marcus and Parker stumble onto a team of rancher trying to move their herd of cattle away from a inferno that’s hot on their heels. Not being able to do to anything for them they continue. They stop moments later due to animals of all sorts running across the road. They spot a cougar, which neither of them has seen before..
 
 P 35–38. The brother’s, now in another new vehicle, make a quick stop by Tanner’s trailer so that Tanner’s can grab some things. Toby enters the trailer and sees nothing but garbage and empty beer cans. He spots a family photo of himself, Tanner, and their mother, noticing that she looks unhappy. Tanner explains that it was because he was standing beside her. Tanner tells Toby he will meet him in the car and a short time later Tanner exits carrying a AR 15 assault rifle and a scoped 30–06. Toby refuses to take the guns at first but after realizing this is all his brother has he changes his mind.
 
 P 38–40. Tanner eggs on a punk in a Dodge Challenger at a gas station while Toby is inside paying. The punk flashes a pistol at Tanner before attempting to exit the vehicle. Toby arrives and slams the car door on the punk, removes his gun, and elbows him unconscious on the ground before running back to his own car. Tanner is happy to know there is a little spirit left in his brother.
 
 P 38–47. Marcus and Parker investigate the bank Tanner just robbed and reassures the young teller that her family will be same. They get a description of the car as well as a surveillance tape of the robbery. Marcus heads over to the diner where he is told the basic appearance of the two men that robbed the bank by other customers. He learns of the waitress’ $200 tip left by Toby, but she refuses to give it up. When Parker enters, he is told to get the money from the waitress.

P 47–48. The brothers are driving over to The Comanche Red River Casino to change the money over, on route Tanner asks about his nephews. Toby asks why Tanner agreed to rob banks with him if he didn’t think they could get away with it, Tanner responds with a simple “ Cuz you asked, little brother”
 
 P 48–51. Toby and Tanner arrive at the Casino where Tanner immediately start hitting on the clerk, who is Comanche. They manage to avoid using a credit card for authorization by paying the clerk off. Later at the bar the boys pound back a couple shots.
 
 P 51–54. Parker attempts to watch TV before bed in their motel room but is constantly pestered by Marcus. Eventually, he gives in and tosses the remote at Marcus who smiles happily.
 
 P 54–62. Tanner tries to encourage Toby to come gamble but with no luck. He takes off without him and soon doubles his money playing texas Hold ’Em. Back at the bar a hooker has spotted Toby alone with his stack of chips nearby, she approaches him and begins to flirt. Things at the poker table begin to heat up as Tanner unintentionally insults a large Comanche man. as an apology Tanner raises knowing he will be beat, the man sees this and calls thus winning the hand. He tells Tanner the word “Comanche” means 
 enemies with everyone, Tanner replies saying that also makes him a Comanche
 
 The hooker is easily seducing Toby at the bar, she tries to get him to take her back to his room when Tanner suddenly shows up and pulls her away. After scaring her off the two
 go and cash in their chips.
 
 P 63. Marcus wakes up in chest pain, he takes a Tums before heading outside. He looks up to the stars and asks “This is the thanks I get? Rotting from the inside out. After all I done for you …” .
 
 P 63–64. The clerk, Tanner, and Toby share the hotel room. Toby announces he will go see his boys tomorrow. Tanner and the clerk begin to have sex, Toby walks outside and looks up at the same stars Marcus was.
 
 P 65. Parker discovers Marcus sitting on a bench outside the motel room watching the sunset “practicing for his future” He notices Marcus has been crying.
 
 P 65–67. Toby and Tanner are at a used car lot where the owner, Buster Meade, gives them a ‘arrest me red” car and a New Mexico license plate. This wasn’t the first time he has done this. They split up momentarily. Tanner is going to see the guy from Chevron and Toby to his kids..
 
 P 67–69. Marcus decides they should hunker down in town, feeling that the bank in the town will be their next target, they eat at a restaurant where their only choice of food is to have either corn on the cob or green beans with their medium-rare T-bone steak. 
 
 P 69–73. Toby arrives at his ex’s place where he immediately shows the $3,500 owed in child support to keep Debbie (his ex) from calling the cops. He tells her that his mother has passed and the ranch is in a trust for the boys so she can’t sell it. His son, Justin, shows up he asks Debbie for two beers. Outside he talks with his son telling him the ranch will be his and not to sell it because they found oil on it. He asks his son not to be like him and Tanner saying he will hear a lot of things about them, things which he needs to do different.

P 73–75. Tanner is already back at the ranch modifying his AR-15 from a semi-automatic into a machine gun. Toby arrives and sees this, asks what he is doing. He says it’s for insurance in case they need to rob another branch. He will be taking the guns in a second car, Toby is to go to another casino while he heads north. He also tells Toby that he needs to fax over a release of lien form to Chevron after paying the loan officer and the deal is done. Both go see their lawyer.
 
 P 75–77. The brother’s are in the law office of Billy Rayburn where they sign forms making Billy he executor and ensuring that nothing can be taken away from the boys if they get caught. Tanner questions why Billy is taking a big risk, Billy responds by saying the bank kept their mother poor by loaning her as little as possible so to eventually take the ranch for a cheap price and have the oil to themselves. Billy loves the fact they are paying the bank back with their own money “If that ain’t Texan I don’t know what is”. He warns them the bank can foreclose on Friday so they need to be at the bank in Childress by Thursday before they close up.
 
 P 78–79. Parker and Marcus are still at the restaurant, Parker speaks about how this all used to be Camancharia and how it is now being taken by the banks. Marcus confesses he likes this small town. Parker thinks he is purposely waiting to keep from being retired. They decide to wait until the boys make a mistake.
 
 P 80–81. Tanner and Toby have a small talk before sleep. Tanner tells Toby he is doing a good thing, Toby asks Tanner to go easy on the tellers tomorrow.
 
 P 81. Marcus is seated outside listening to crickets chirping, Parker brings his suitcase back inside the motel room.
 
 P 81–82. Toby makes some eggs and bacon for breakfast for both of them before they head off in separate vehicles.
 
 P 82–83. Marcus has fallen asleep on the bench outside the restaurant. Parker wakes him up with a cup of coffee, the two men sit there staring at the empty town square.
 
 P 83–84. The brothers arrive at the bank in Jayton only to find the doors wrapped in chains and the windows boarded up. Tanner immediately makes Post their next target, Toby is reluctant due to not knowing that town very well, but with no other choice he agrees.
 
 P 84–85. Now inside the restaurant Marcus and Parker pour over a map of Texas and locate all First Texas bank branches. They talk over all other locations they haven’t hit yet and discover that Post is most likely their next target. They stand from their table, throw down a 20 dollar bill, and take off.
 
 p 85–90. Toby and Tanner arrive in Post after ditching one vehicle just outside of town. This town is busy, but they get hopeful when they see no vehicles in the parking lot of the bank inside however are many people. Everyone stares at each other for a moment before Tanner takes control and orders everyone down. He immediately heads over to the tellers and starts taking the cash. Toby is stunned, but with a shout from his brother, he snaps-to and covers the customers. One of them texts out that the bank is being robbed.
 
 An old security guard comes around the corner, pistol raised. Tanner is quick and puts a few rounds into him. A customer pops up and tries to shoot Toby, but misses. Toby fires wildly hitting the ceiling and walls trying to hit the guy. Tanner ends him with a single shot to the head. The boys flee the bank only to be met with a hailstorm of fire from townsfolk. They make it into their getaway vehicle and take off, but are chased.
 
 Outside of town Tanner slams on the breaks, gets out, and retrieves his AR-15 from the trunk. He spins around and sprays the pursuing townsfolk with rounds. They immediately slam on their brakes and turn around.
 
 P 90–91. They pull off beside their other vehicle. Tanner gives out orders for an uncertain Toby, tells him to swap the money and gives him safer routes to travel. Toby asks where he is going, Tanner responds with a smile. They exchange heartfelt “I love you’s” before Tanner drives off.
 
 P 91–94. Tanner starts singing an old Tex Ritter son after slamming off the radio. Up ahead he spots a dirt road turn off that goes up to a shrub oak covered hill as well as three police vehicles approaching. He turns the wheel over cutting in front of all three cruisers and flies down the dirt road. Two more are coming, lead by Marcus’ unmarked Crown Victoria. Tanner reaches the top of the hill, gets out his deer rifle, ammo, and a five gallon gas tank. He unscrews the lid of the gas tanks and rams his ski mask into the opening, then places it in the passenger seat and slams the car in gear. The cruisers are starting to climb the dirt road to get at him, but when they see the Pontiac now rolling down the hill they stop and slam their vehicles into reverse. When the Pontiac gets close Tanner starts pounding it and the cruisers with rounds until one strikes the gas tank and it blows up. The Pontiac, now a red fireball of metal slams into the cruisers, knocking two into the creek that runs beside the road.
 
 Marcus arrives with two other cruisers and gets out to witness the chaos up the hill he tells Parker to call in a S.W.A.T. unit. Troopers begin zigzagging down the hill waving frantically for everyone to get down. One yells out “he has a rifle” just as Marcus hears the crack of the deer rifle. Marcus takes cover and asks Parker why he doesn’t climb the hill and tomahawk him, but when there is no response he turns around to see Parker on the ground. He rushes over to him but quickly discovers that the entire back of Parker’s head has been blown off.
 
 The locals show up, Marcus rushes over and tells them to back up behind a hill, he gets one of locals to show him a path that will lead up behind Tanner so he can shoot him. Tanner lights a smoke as
 he watches the scene below through his scope.
 
 P 94–95. Cruiser after cruiser whips by Toby, he comes around a bend and to his horror sees four cruisers blocking off the road. He approaches the road block and speaks with an officer. After a few questions, handing over his license, and for what seems like an eternity, Toby is finally allowed to pass through.
 
 P 95–97. Tanner has become bored up on the hill, but perks up when he sees a S.W.A.T. van approaching, he decides he has time for one more smoke. Meanwhile, on a Ridgeline Marcus and the local have managed to find a way around Tanner. Marcus, out of breath, scans the bush with the scope of the rifle while the local uses binoculars, both can’t see Tanner until a puff of cigarette smoke rises from the bushes. Marcus homes in on it and lines up headshot on Tanner. Tanner nods with satisfaction saying “Lord of the plains… that’s me” just then he senses something. Through Marcus’s scope, we see him turn his head to look directly in Marcus’s direction. Marcus pulls the trigger and kills Tanner instantly.
 
 P 97–99. Toby made it to the casino to swap out the money and rent out a room. In the room, he checks his phone, nothing. Unable to resist anymore he clicks on the TV where he learns of his brother’s death from a news reporter reporting from the city square at Post. He shuts the TV off and begins to tear up.
 
 P 99–102. Toby is at the First Texas Bank in Childers handing over two casino checks that will pay off all loans and back taxes the bank did for his mother. He orders the release of lien and deed to be faxed right then and now. Once everything is said and done the loan officer extends a hand out to Toby, he turns around a walks but stops and asks the loan officer if they manage trusts.
 
 P 102–103. A month has passed by, Marcus is now retired. He sits on his porch, after denying a neighbour’s offer of card games at the legion tonight Marcus heads inside to watch some TV. He clicks on a football game and plops down in a recliner soon after closing his eyes and leaning back, bored out of his mind.
 
 P 103–107. Marcus heads over to the Texas Ranger Office where a ranger allows look at Tanner’s criminal record, he then asks the ranger about Toby and comes to discover all this bank robbing started soon after their mother died, the Ranch is in a trust for his kids, and Chevron has equipment there able to pull 2,000 barrels of oil off the land. This sparks interest in Marcus, the ranger notices and tells Marcus to not go to the Ranch.
 
 P 107–114. Marcus is walking up the roadway to the house when Toby comes out behind him with a rifle cradled in his arms, Marcus tells Toby that he was the one that killed his brother, Toby replies by saying he knew, but also knows that he is retired and trespassing. Marcus informs Toby that Toby can legally shoot him right now, the two men are quiet until Marcus takes a seat on the porch, Toby offers him a beer which he accepts.
 
 Marcus asks why Toby did all this, says Tanner did it because he liked it, but can’t understand why Toby would. Toby explains that his family was poor for generations but all that ends with his boys. “It’s the only thing a parent can give their child these days, no advice, no lessons, no love, nothing that will give them a fighting chance in this world, except money”. He confesses he has killed no one, but challenges Marcus to see how quick he can get his pistol from his boot before Toby blasts him off the porch.
 
 They stare at each other, neither man backing down. Things seem to heat up until Debbie comes driving up the road towards the house. When Debbie exits the vehicle, with the two boys, Marcus gets up and says he has to get going. Toby does likewise telling Marcus he is renting a little house in town if he wants to come by and finish this. Marcus says he will visit when he has figured all this out … and maybe then they can give each other peace.

Writing Exercise: I encourage you to read the script, but short of that, if you’ve seen the movie, go through this scene-by-scene breakdown. What stands out to you about it from a structural standpoint?

To download a PDF of the breakdown for Hell or High Water, go here.

Kudos to Andrew Lightfoot for doing the scene-by-scene breakdown.