Storytelling
How Avengers: Endgame Fulfills the Emotional Arcs of Marvel’s Characters
Avengers: Endgame owes its success to one word: character.
Storytelling
The 3 Biggest Storytelling Problems in Shazam!
A hero is only as good as his villain, and that’s where Shazam’s plot problems start.
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.
Storytelling
How Tag Hid a Heartfelt Movie in a Crass Comedy
Tag shouldn’t work as a movie, but it does — almost despite itself. Its crass, uneven comedy hides a surprisingly satisfying emotional payoff.
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
Avengers: Infinity War Shows How to Write a Huge Ensemble Story
Why Marvel’s biggest movie yet is a great example of how to write for a large ensemble of characters.
Storytelling
10 Subtly Amazing Moments in Lady Bird
Lady Bird is a movie that does nearly everything right. Here’s why Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut works so well.
Storytelling
Why Outlander Is the Show America Needs Now
How do the big differences between two of TV’s most talked-about prestige dramas reflect a vast gap in pop culture?
Storytelling
The Tone Problems in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
As I was watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 yesterday, one thought kept running through my head: Marvel movies have two problems when it comes to onscreen violence: tone and stakes. This problem is actually most noticeable in Deadpool 2, but it first became obvious here. The Tone Paradox Read more…