A Note On Stories That Capture Us

We deride predictable movies. So why do we re-watch movies, or watch blockbuster movies where the heroes always save the day? Despite knowledge of the outcome, we buy into the moment. A movie succeeds if it can convince us (trick us, really) that the outcome is being decided as we watch. This could be through any aspect of the movie: the acting, the music, the dialogue, or the broader plot.

So I don’t think “predictable” is the right word to criticize a predictable film. The audience doesn’t need to ask “what is going to happen next”. Rather, they need to be brought to think “I can hardly believe what is going to happen next is going to happen.”