ZEBRA GIRL script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

An isolated house at night sets the story’s dark tone and introduces Catherine’s solitude.

Catherine’s panic attack and hallucinations hint at themes of perception versus reality.

We see Catherine spying on Dan, retrieving a knife and preparing to attack, establishing her unstable state and domestic setting.

Catherine attacks Dan in his office, triggering the central conflict.

Catherine it's not what you...

Flashbacks to happier times and Anita’s arrival show Catherine debating how to handle her crime and her guilt.

Catherine enlists Anita to help procure tools, marking her descent into the world of cover-up.

I need you to go into town. Buy a bow saw.

A flashback of Catherine and Anita meeting as children establishes their friendship as the emotional B-story.

Catherine and Anita methodically prepare, clean, and dismember Dan’s body, experiencing macabre ‘fun’ that plays out the premise.

A tranquil flashback of Catherine fishing with her father sharply contrasts—and underscores—her current darkness.

I learned from the best.

Anita secretly calls the police, raising external pressure on Catherine.

Who are you talking to --

Dan inexplicably appears alive, shattering Catherine’s control and hope.

Catherine has a brutal panic attack with Anita, realizing she’s spiraled beyond control.

I've gone and gotten ourselves into another mess, haven't I?

Finding her Zebra Girl book, Catherine resolves she must seize her story’s ending and not be a victim.

And with a happy fucking ending!

The police arrive as Catherine confronts the reality of the baby room, forcing her ultimate reckoning.

Please tell me you didn't darling --

The final confrontation in the ruined house contrasts the opening isolation with chaotic collapse.