Storytelling
Black Sails: How to Write Compelling Character Arcs
The ensemble cast of Black Sails proves that writing complex characters in pursuit of opposing goals creates highly compelling storytelling.
Storytelling
Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Internal Conflict
Cobra Kai’s pilot episode shows why every villain thinks he’s the hero of his own story… and why he’s also his own worst enemy.
Armchair Sociology
Steve Harrington, Jaime Lannister, and the Secret to Writing a Redemption Arc
How did Steve Harrington become one of the most popular characters on Stranger Things?
Storytelling
What Went Wrong with Bad Times at the El Royale?
This caper flick wants you to believe it’s full of twists and turns… but it’s frustatingly empty.
Armchair Sociology
Why We Replaced Heroes with Antiheroes
From Superman to Iron Man, the difference between a hero and an antihero was always clear.. until now. Here’s what changed, and why it matters.
Storytelling
8 Reasons Why Ocean’s 8 Is the Perfect Feel-Good Heist Movie
From the humor to the pacing, Ocean’s 8 works in a way that provides a template for other heist movies to follow.
Storytelling
The Tone Paradox in Deadpool 2
It’s no surprise that Deadpool 2, the ultra-violent R-rated superhero action comedy with the heart of a cartoon puppy, has a tone problem.
Storytelling
What Solo Gets Surprisingly Right About Star Wars
Director Ron Howard and star Alden Ehrenreich add new layers to the legendary antihero while staying true to the central theme of Star Wars.
Armchair Sociology
Sollers Point: Unraveling Masculinity Onscreen
Sollers Point has its finger on the pulse of a huge American problem: masculinity in crisis. Writer-director Matthew Porterfield is a dedicated chronicler of Baltimore’s lesser-told stories, and in Sollers Point he finds a true diamond in the rough. The story follows Keith (McCaul Lombardi), whose life after house arrest Read more…
Storytelling
10 Ways Iron Man’s Plot Created the Marvel Movie Formula
10 years after Marvel Studios released Iron Man, here’s how that movie’s success has been duplicated in every MCU film since.