Justin Kownacki

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Brie Larson as Carol Danvers on the movie poster for Captain Marvel
Storytelling

Captain Marvel: A Genius Lesson in Story Structure

Captain Marvel offers a smart answer to a hard storytelling question: how do you make a compelling movie about the world’s strongest hero?

By Justin, 4 yearsMarch 24, 2019 ago
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things 2
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?

By Justin, 4 yearsFebruary 14, 2019 ago
Mortal Engines stars Hera Hilmar as Hester Shaw
Storytelling

53 Reactions from a Drunken Viewing of Mortal Engines

Mortal Engines may be one of 2018’s biggest box-office bombs, but it didn’t have to be. Here’s the key ingredient the movie forgot to include.

By Justin, 4 yearsDecember 23, 2018 ago
Chris Hemsworth as Billy Lee in Drew Goddard's movie Bad Times at the El Royale
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.

By Justin, 5 yearsNovember 5, 2018 ago
Storytelling

Why Damien Chazelle’s First Man Feels So Empty

Why, despite some stellar filmmaking, does First Man fail to satisfy?

By Justin, 5 yearsOctober 27, 2018 ago
Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon) in the poster art for the movie The Spy Who Dumped Me
Storytelling

5 Reasons Why The Spy Who Dumped Me Deserves to Become a Franchise

The Spy Who Dumped Me feels more like a TV pilot than a fully-formed movie — and that’s not a bad thing.

By Justin, 5 years ago
Winnie the Pooh and an adult Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) meet again on a park bench in Disney's Christopher Robin movie
Armchair Sociology

The Hidden Message in Disney’s Christopher Robin

Disney’s Christopher Robin may seem like a simple feel-good fable, but there’s a more interesting message under the surface.

By Justin, 5 yearsAugust 7, 2018 ago
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt and Vanessa Kirby as The White Widow in Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Storytelling

What’s the Mission: Impossible Franchise Really About?

Ethan Hunt is surprisingly bland for a lead character, but what really holds Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible franchise together are its recurring themes.

By Justin, 5 yearsAugust 2, 2018 ago
The cast of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Storytelling

25 Reactions to Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again from a Guy Who Never Saw the Original

We could do worse than an extended cinematic universe of ABBA musicals.

By Justin, 5 yearsJuly 30, 2018 ago
Dwayne Johnson leaps off a supercrane and into America's heart in the movie Skyscraper
Storytelling

6 Ways to Interpret Skyscraper as Dwayne Johnson’s Defining Movie

The missing ingredients in Skyscraper accidentally define Dwayne Johnson’s true appeal.

By Justin, 5 yearsJuly 16, 2018 ago

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Popular Posts

  • • What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?
  • • This Storytelling Flaw Ruined the New Star Wars Trilogy
  • • Why Does Every Marvel Movie Tell the Same Story?
  • • Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Conflict
  • • How Iron Man Created the Formula for Every Marvel Movie

Latest Posts

  • • Worldbuilding and Exposition: 6 Writing Tips from Dune
  • • Writing a Perfect Scene: Bunk vs. Omar in The Wire
  • • Screenwriting Lessons from ALIENS
  • • The Story Problem at the Heart of the Snyder Cut
  • • WandaVision's Biggest Question Gets Deep
  • • Why The Queen's Gambit Is Such Smart Storytelling

Frequent Topics

  • • DC
  • • Game of Thrones
  • • Marvel
  • • Star Wars

What Writing Skill Do You Want to Improve?

  • • Character
  • • Pacing
  • • Plot
  • • Story Structure
  • • Theme
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