Save the Cat rankings

DARK CITY script analysis

DARK CITY script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Amnesiac Jonathan White wakes in a strange city under perpetual night, hunted by mysterious forces. He teams with Inspector Bumstead and Dr. Schreber to unravel his identity and the city’s dark secrets. As reality unravels, White confronts insectoid rulers in a final psychic battle. His journey transforms him from victim to savior in a collapsing world.

70 Save the Cat fit score 15% analysis confidence / 39 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

10%

Jonathan White awakens in a bathtub with amnesia, setting a mood of disorientation and dark atmosphere.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 3 / Page 1 / 5% target

10%

White questions his reality, hinting at identity and perception themes.

What? I... How long have I been here?
3

Set-Up

Scenes 1-4 / Page 1 / 10% target

10%

We meet White’s amnesia, the dead body, the hotel manager, and Inspector Bumstead introduced.

4

Catalyst

Scene 5 / Page 2 / 12% target

10%

White shoots a mysterious man in the tunnel, triggering police involvement.

You will not shoot, yes. There is a place in your mind, a corner of darkness...
5

Debate

Scene 7 / Page 3 / 20% target

10%

White struggles to piece together his past, burning a newspaper in confusion.

6

Break into Two

Scene 12 / Page 4 / 25% target

10%

White ventures into the plaza independently, leaving initial authorities behind.

7

B Story

Scene 8 / Page 3 / 30% target

10%

Bumstead’s assistant Crenshaw arrives, beginning the partnership and human connection subplot.

I'm your new assistant.
8

Fun and Games

Scene 15 / Page 6 / 40% target

10%

White is guided by Dr. Schreber, cooking and exploring strange rooms, with surreal discoveries.

I'm sorry. About before.
9

Midpoint

Scene 20 / Page 7 / 50% target

10%

White is formally interrogated—stakes rise as his fate and the city’s secrets hang in balance.

10

Bad Guys Close In

Scene 23 / Page 8 / 65% target

10%

Stromboli colludes with strangers to recapture White, tightening the net of antagonists.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 33 / Page 10 / 75% target

10%

White is put on trial with fabricated evidence; all hope seems lost.

Something to say? Ready to confess?
12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 34 / Page 10 / 80% target

10%

The city decays around him, reflecting White’s despair and the collapse of reality.

13

Break into Three

Scene 35 / Page 11 / 85% target

10%

White and Mister Black engage in a mental duel, marking a decision to fight back.

14

Finale

Scenes 36-39 / Pages 11-12 / 95% target

10%

White battles the Mystery Men in their true forms, then returns to the surface world transformed.

Good as new. Yes. Everything is easier now.
15

Final Image

Scene 39 / Page 12 / 99% target

10%

White attacks a stranger on the pier, suggesting his journey has irrevocably changed him.