Save the Cat rankings

MOONFALL script analysis

MOONFALL script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

A seasoned agent is sent to the Moon to investigate a suspicious death and clashes with corporate interests while confronting his own past. As he digs deeper with his lunar liaison Cassie, he uncovers a conspiracy involving a sentient AI, his own grief, and a race against time. The climax features a desperate chase through lunar biodomes, ending in a personal revelation.

60 Save the Cat fit score 30% analysis confidence / 47 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

25%

The story opens with a shocking discovery of a dead woman in a rover trunk, setting a dark tone.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 3 / Pages 1-2 / 5% target

30%

Hart’s misremembered Whitman quote hints at questions of life’s meaning and reality.

O me, O life. Learned that from my old man. He never read Whitman. He just misheard a...
3

Set-Up

Scenes 1-5 / Pages 1-5 / 10% target

28%

We meet Hart, learn of Dawn’s death, and see his emotional distance via thoughts of his daughter during a turbulent shuttle ride.

4

Catalyst

Scene 4 / Page 2 / 12% target

32%

The official ruling of overdose in Dawn Holland’s death triggers Hart’s suspicion.

Her name’s DAWN HOLLAND. NASA Scientist, 35 years old. LunarCorp and NASA investigated. Drug overdose.
5

Debate

Scene 12 / Page 6 / 20% target

33%

Cassie challenges Hart to treat the case as murder, and he wavers on committing fully to the investigation.

She wouldn’t have done a thing like that.
6

Break into Two

Scene 14 / Page 7 / 25% target

30%

A lunar storm and hallucination of his daughter mark Hart’s passage into the investigation’s emotional underworld.

7

B Story

Scenes 6-7 / Pages 3-4 / 30% target

27%

Cassie’s home life and her video calls with Hart establish the emotional support subplot.

8

Fun and Games

Scenes 17-21 / Pages 8-10 / 40% target

35%

Hart and Cassie visit the observatory, review the body, and interview suspects, showcasing detective work and lunar settings.

9

Midpoint

Scene 29 / Page 12 / 50% target

30%

Hart’s realization of the case’s timing pressure (“Eight days…”) shifts stakes from discovery to a race against time.

Eight days. I shouldn’t have started this. Not with eight days.
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scene 30 / Pages 12-13 / 65% target

33%

Hart’s mental breakdown and aggression toward Cassie signal external threats and his inner turmoil tightening their investigation.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 40 / Page 17 / 75% target

34%

Jacen murders Van Leeuwenhoek, ending corporate interference and leaving Hart and Cassie seemingly outmatched.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 46 / Page 21 / 80% target

30%

A lunar storm vision of Hart’s daughter brings his grief to the forefront, questioning his mission.

She needs me now. I need to let you go.
13

Break into Three

Scene 47 / Page 22 / 85% target

32%

Hart’s realization about Cassie’s true nature refocuses his purpose for the final conflict.

You’re you. And I’m me. And it’s everything.
14

Finale

Scenes 41-45 / Pages 18-20 / 95% target

35%

Hart chases through biodomes, engages in firefights, and confronts Jacen, resolving the external conspiracy.

15

Final Image

Scene 47 / Page 22 / 99% target

30%

The closing moment shows Hart at peace with the truth of Cassie and himself, mirroring the opening’s discovery with hope.