Tenet
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$116 – 142MM V $60MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
3.82 – 4.67%
Script Score
0.13
Tenet is a 2020 movie written and directed by Christopher Nolan stands out for its concept of time inversion. Behind its complex narrative structure lies a story of a secret agent attempting to prevent the perpetrator of WWIII.
1. The invisible plot structure of Tenet
1A. The script of Tenet borrows 89% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Protagonist’s quest is driven by the desire for finding an elusive person/object. The quest borrows events from the tale of Jason in Greek mythology. Jason’s desire to covet with The Golden Fleece is shared by Protagonist trying to get the algorithm before Sator.
Sator’s quest is driven by the desire to punish offenders. The quest borrows events from the tale of Duryodhan in Hindu mythology. Duryodhan trying to unscrupulously acquire his kins’ kingdom is similar to Sator usurping Protagonist’s position.
Neil’s underdeveloped quest is driven by the desire for honour & loyalty borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & Neil demonstrate unquestioned loyalty, showing a willingness to sacrifice themselves.
Kat also has underdeveloped quest of tranquillity that is subsumed in Protagonist’s quest. Jason was helped by Medea, daughter of King Aetees. Kat wife of Sator helps Protagonist.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 30,343
Tales interweaved
Duryodhan, Jason & Hanuman
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Tenet's plot structure: $116 – 142MM*
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Tenet
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Tenet has 2 universal quests of Expedition & Vengeance. The quest of Honour is used sporadically.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Protagonist mirrors the universal quest of Expedition whereas Sator mirrors the quest of Vengeance. Neil mirrors the quest of Honour
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Protagonist borrows 33% events from the quest for Expedition. Sator borrows 25% events from the quest for Vengeance. Neil borrows 8% events from the quest for Honour.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Tenet’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Protagonist & Sator:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Tenet
The plot structure of Tenet borrows primarily from 2 universal quests, that too insufficiently.
Tenet’s box-office rev were affected by COVID
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.13
Audience appeal
3.82 – 4.67%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Tenet
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Protagonist mirrors the universal quest for Expedition
Protagonist’s desire for Expedition stems from the need to find an elusive object. The tale of Jason from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Expedition.
Quest 2: Sator mirrors the universal quest for Vengeance
Sator’s desire for Vengeance stems from the need to punish offenders. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Vengeance.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure reveals moderate quests of two characters and a shallow quest of the third one.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Tenet is a subset of plot structure # 30,343. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Duryodhan, Jason & Hanuman.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 30,343
Tags: Duryodhan, Jason, Hanuman, Vengeance, Expedition, Honour, Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros. Pictures, Syncopy, 2020