Save the Cat rankings

Black Mass script analysis

Black Mass script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

FBI agent John Connolly teams up with South Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger, believing he can control him in exchange for inside information. As Bulger’s violence escalates, Connolly’s moral compromise deepens, leading to betrayal, investigation, and eventual downfall. The story charts Connolly’s descent from idealistic agent to disgraced defendant.

30 Save the Cat fit score 20% analysis confidence / 41 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

10%

Introduces law enforcement questioning a suspect, establishing the procedural tone.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 9 / Page 5 / 5% target

15%

Connolly reflects on first meeting Bulger, hinting at the personal cost of alliances.

It's where I first met Jimmy. I was nine, meaning he was twenty, already a Southie legend.
3

Set-Up

Scenes 2-4 / Pages 2-4 / 10% target

15%

Establishes the FBI’s operation, Bulger’s arrest, and Connolly’s assignment.

4

Catalyst

Scene 5 / Page 5 / 12% target

15%

Connolly is paired with Morris on the Bulger case, setting the story in motion.

Connolly. I'm putting Morris on Bulger and Flemmi with you.
5

Debate

Scene 6 / Page 6 / 20% target

10%

Connolly weighs the benefits and risks of Bulger’s schemes.

6

Break into Two

Scene 11 / Page 11 / 25% target

10%

Connolly begins active partnership by using Bulger’s intel for FBI targets.

He's in New Hampshire. Nashua. Living on Hayworth Street. Driving a white Jeep Cherokee.
7

B Story

Scenes 9-10 / Pages 9-10 / 30% target

10%

Connolly’s relationship with Marianne underscores his personal stakes.

8

Fun and Games

Scenes 6-8 / Pages 6-8 / 40% target

10%

Shows Bulger’s criminal enterprises—horse racing schemes and celebrations.

9

Midpoint

Scene 12 / Page 12 / 50% target

10%

Bulger’s brutality escalates with the beating of a dealer, raising stakes.

10

Bad Guys Close In

Scene 15 / Page 15 / 65% target

10%

Drive-by executions demonstrate increasing violence encroaching on Connolly’s world.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 17 / Page 17 / 75% target

10%

Flemmi kills his own partner, symbolizing irreversible moral collapse.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 20 / Page 20 / 80% target

10%

Connolly confronts Bulger about murder, realizing he’s complicit.

Did you kill Roger Wheeler?
13

Break into Three

Scene 28 / Page 28 / 85% target

10%

Morris’s transfer and Connolly’s denied promotion force a new plan.

14

Finale

Scene 41 / Page 41 / 95% target

10%

Courtroom testimony culminates in Connolly and Flemmi’s betrayal and legal reckoning.

Bulger and Flemmi have been charged with twenty-one murders. At least eleven of which occurred while they were...
15

Final Image

Scene 41 / Page 41 / 99% target

10%

Shows the aftermath of Connolly’s choices in court, mirroring the opening procedural intensity.