Review: UNHINGED

UNHINGED: I love a good thriller. Let's talk setups and payoffs in screenwriting. Now streaming on Amazon Prime. #SpoilerAlert

When we meet our protagonist, we stay in a decently long scene receiving all kinds of random information. But... it isn't random.
There are two setups in this scene:
1. The candy cane scissors.
2. The neighborhood where mother and brother often get lost.

​In the car scene, before we jump into action, we get another setup: Fortnite.
All three of these setups are paid off in the final action scene. Did you see them coming? I did.
Moral of the story: Everything in a screenplay matter. Even the silliest of conversations should lead to SOMETHING.

Want to write dynamic characters? Check out our Guide to Writing Three-Dimensional Characters!

Written by: Shannan E. Johnson

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AUTHOR

Shannan E. Johnson is a former creative executive at The Syfy Channel turned CEO + Head Consultant of The Professional Pen, a script consultancy that develops screenwriters from idea to pitch to become more confident storytellers ready for a professional screenwriting career, and consults with scripted development teams at entertainment companies to streamline their notes process to get to pre-production more efficiently.