Stillwater
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$23 – 26MM V $19MM
Mythosis universal quests used
5
Audience appeal
0.81 – 0.90%
Script Score
0.03
Stillwater is a 2021 movie directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Matt Damon. The movie is about an oil rig worker trying to help his daughter who has been imprisoned for a crime she claims she didn’t commit.
1. The invisible plot structure of Stillwater
1A. The script of Stillwater borrows 88% of its events from 4 mythological tales
Bill’s quest is driven by the desire to protect & nurture. The quest borrows events from the tale of Demeter in Greek mythology. Both Demeter and Bill set out to find the abductor & recover their loved ones.
Bill’s quest is also driven by the desire for companionship. The quest borrows events from the tale of Psyche in Greek mythology. Both Psyche and Bill are deserted by their loved one due to trust issues.
Ally’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Circe in Greek mythology. Both Circe and Ally create a façade of godliness and treachery to control gullible victims.
Virgine’s underdeveloped quest borrows events from the tale of Siavash. It is the unfulfilled quest for companionship.
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
# 17,967
Tales interweaved
Circe, Demeter & Psyche
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 Stillwater’s plot structure: $23 – 26MM
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 Stillwater
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Stillwater has 3 universal quests of Family, Power & Social contact. The unfulfilled quest of Social Contact is sparingly used.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Bill mirrors the universal quests of Family & Social contact. Ally mirrors the quest of Power.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Bill borrows 28% events from the universal quest for Family & 9% events from the universal quest for Social contact. Ally borrows 13% events from the universal quest for Power.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Stillwater’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Ally & Bill:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Stillwater
The plot structure of Stillwater is weak due to the lead character being inconsistent & all characters being under-developed.
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
0.03
Audience appeal
0.81 – 0.90%
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 Stillwater
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: Bill mirrors the universal quest for Family
Bill’s desire for Family stems from the need to nurture & protect. The tale of Demeter from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Family.
Quest 2: Bill also mirrors the universal quest for Social contact
Bill’s desire for Social contact stems from the need for companionship. The tale of Psyche from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Social contact.
Quest 3: Ally mirrors the universal quest for Power
Ally’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
Bill’s character borrows from multiple quests making his quest inconsistent and creating plot gaps.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Stillwater is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 17,967. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Circe, Demeter & Psyche.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure #17,967
Tags: Psyche, Demeter, Siavash, Circe, Social contact, Family, Power, Tom McCarthy, Participant, DreamWorks Pictures, Anonymous Content, Focus Features, 2021