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, 3 yearsMarch 24, 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, 4 yearsNovember 5, 2018 ago
Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), Teddy Flood (James Marsden), and Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) star in the pilot episodes of HBO's TV series The Sopranos and Westworld
Storytelling

What Makes the Best Pilot Episodes in TV History Tick?

From The Sopranos to Westworld, how the 10 of the best TV shows displayed their game-changing brilliance from their very first episodes.

By Justin, 4 yearsAugust 21, 2018 ago
Danaerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in HBO's addictive, must-see TV series, Game of Thrones
Storytelling

What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?

Every “must-see” TV show uses some of these addictive story tricks, but only Game of Thrones combined them all to create a runaway hit.

By Justin, 4 yearsJuly 26, 2018 ago
Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly headline the cast poster for Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp
Storytelling

Why Ant-Man and the Wasp Is a Movie About Nothing

Ant-Man and the Wasp has a plot built entirely out of MacGuffins and a villain who finally breaks Marvel’s mold.

By Justin, 4 yearsJuly 7, 2018 ago
Jimmi Simpson as William and Tallulah Riley as Angela in HBO's Westworld
Armchair Sociology

Westworld: Reality, A.I., and the God Problem

When I was about 5 or 6, I had a thought that both exhilarated and terrified me. I was riding in the car with my parents, looking out the window, and I thought… How do I know if I’m real? Beyond that… how do I know if “reality” even exists? Read more…

By Justin, 4 yearsMay 15, 2018 ago
Iron Man 2008 movie poster
Storytelling

How Iron Man Created the Formula for Every Marvel Movie

10 years after Marvel Studios released Iron Man, here’s how that movie’s success has been duplicated in every MCU film since.

By Justin, 4 yearsMarch 26, 2018 ago
Long John Silver (Luke Arnold) and Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) in Black Sails
Storytelling

Why Black Sails Has One of the Best Main Characters in TV History

Here’s why Captain Flint on Black Sails is one of the best-written characters in this current era of Peak TV.

By Justin, 4 yearsMarch 23, 2018 ago
Black Panther movie poster
Storytelling

Why Black Panther and Wakanda Are the Keys to Marvel’s Future

How the success of Black Panther changes action movies and lays the groundwork for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

By Justin, 4 yearsFebruary 19, 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

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  • • Plot
  • • Story Structure
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