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In NEXT, precognitive gambler Cris Johnson is pursued by government agents who wish to use his abilities to prevent a terrorist attack. Through a series of escapes, a budding romance with Liz, and high-stakes cat-and-mouse, Cris is forced to confront what he truly values and choose between freedom and responsibility.

72 Save the Cat fit score 76% analysis confidence / 72 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

80%

Introduces Cris under test in a sterile white room, setting the tone of confinement and surveillance.

Mr. Johnson, you've been sent to us by the state authorities for testing. We want to determine if...
2

Theme Stated

Scene 6 / 5% target

70%

Homeland Security learns of the bomb threat, stating stakes and hinting at using Cris’s gift for a greater good.

I need six men to bring him in.
3

Set-Up

Scenes 2-5 / 10% target

75%

We see Cris’s underground life in Vegas: winning at blackjack, evading capture, and government interest building.

4

Catalyst

Scene 6 / 12% target

80%

Learning of a dirty bomb threat forces Ferris to pursue Cris as the only means to foresee the attack.

We're on Code Orange.
5

Debate

Scenes 13-18 / 20% target

72%

Cris debates turning himself in versus fleeing, highlighted in conversations with Irv about his fate.

I've got the place all picked out. It's called Palau. Three hundred teeny islands in the South Pacific....
6

Break into Two

Scenes 23-24 / 25% target

78%

Cris meets Liz and decides to leave his fugitive life for a chance at love and normalcy.

Medium coffee, black, and a glazed.
7

B Story

Scenes 23-31 / 30% target

75%

The romantic subplot develops as Cris and Liz grow closer, forming the emotional core.

I can't either. Have kids.
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 27-38 / 40% target

70%

A series of light-toned adventures and rescues demonstrate Cris’s powers and deepen his bond with Liz.

9

Midpoint

Scenes 41-42 / 50% target

82%

Liz learns Cris’s secret and rejects him, marking a false defeat and raising the personal stakes.

Cris...I think you should move on. Today.
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 43-47 / 65% target

78%

Ferris sets a trap using Liz as bait, tightening the noose on Cris while he fights to protect her.

Stay in the car. If he sees your shadow, he won't take the bait.
11

All Is Lost

Scenes 49-50 / 75% target

80%

Liz’s betrayal—seen as orchestrated by the feds—leaves Cris feeling alone and powerless.

Women hate good-looking men. Rejecting them makes us feel powerful.
12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scenes 51-52 / 80% target

74%

Cris contemplates his isolation in the forest, wrestling with the cost of his gift and losing Liz.

A few steps on, your robe will get caught on a thornbush. You won't be able to get...
13

Break into Three

Scene 61 / 85% target

68%

Ferris acknowledges Cris’s capacity for love, prompting a renewed coordinated effort to stop him for his own good.

I was wrong about one thing. He is capable of love.
14

Finale

Scenes 62-68 / 95% target

77%

Cris fights through the facility’s tests and traps, using his precognition to outmaneuver and expose the moral failures of his captors.

He's almost impossible to shoot, hit, surprise, capture, or contain.
15

Final Image

Scene 72 / 99% target

85%

Cris returns to Liz, announces they’re having a child, and turns himself in, closing the arc with hope and responsibility.

We're going to have a child.