Script Analysis: “Nope” — Part 2: Plot

A week-long analysis of the screenplay for the science fiction horror movie written and directed by Jordan Peele. Download. Read. Discuss.

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: Plot.

In every scene, something happens. A plot point is a scene or group of scenes in which something major happens, an event that impacts the narrative causing it to turn in a new direction.

A relevant anecdote. Years ago, I was on the phone with a writer discussing a script project. My child Will, who was about four years old at the time, must have been listening to me talking about “plot points” during the conversation because after I hung up, he asked, “Daddy, what’s a plop point?”

That’s in effect what a plot point is. It’s an event that ‘plops’ into the narrative and changes its course. So when you think Plot Point, think Plop Point!

The value of this exercise:

• To identify the backbone of the story structure.
• To examine each major plot point and see how it is effective as an individual event.
• To analyze the major plot points in aggregate to determine why they work together as the central plot.

This week: Nope (2022). You may read the script here.

Written by Jordan Peele.

Plot summary: The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Writing Exercise: Go through the scene-by-scene breakdown identify the major plot points. Post your thoughts in comments and we’ll see if we can come up with a consensus.

Here is a clip from the film.

Major kudos to Lora Covrett for doing this week’s scene-by-scene breakdown. Many thanks, Lora!

To download a PDF of the breakdown , go here.

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

To access over 100 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: Nope.