A note on “predictable” storytelling
I just watched Detevtive Pikachu and let me tell you, I absolutely loved it. The animation was adorable, the storyline was interesting, the acting was great.
But before the film even started I’d already guessed what the twist ending was going to be.
And it ruined nothing.
Not only did I get an immense sense of satisfaction, but watching the big reveal was actually my favourite part. It’s almost like audiences wait the entire movie to see the plot-climax.
But you know who didn’t guess the plot twist? My five year old brother. My little cousin. The kids I babysit for. You know, the majority of the target audience? And my dad, who wasn’t particularly invested in the plot, but thought the ending tied the story up nicely.
And you know what else? No one on the creative team for DP needed to put out a big announcement saying ‘do not under any circumstances spoil our film’ and yet I hadn’t encountered a single spoiler prior to watching the film today.
I know a million people have said it already, but the types of people who guess the endings of films/books/series usually do so because a) they’re just as invested, if not more so, than the creators b) they’re a writer themselves, therefore very familiar with plot structures c) the creators intentionally laid groundwork for their big reveal.
When DP ended I didn’t think ‘God, that was predictable.’ I thought ‘wow, that’s exactly how I would’ve ended it if I was writing!’ And that’s not a bad thing: that’s 100% customer satisfaction!
Stories should surprise with the little things: unexpected friendships, startlingly beautiful quotes, bursts of character development. But I’m all for the plot being carefully laid out and easy to follow.
This!!! I’m so sick to death of writers trying so hard to surprise their audience that they butcher characters and satisfying storytelling along the way.
Like I’m editing an author’s fantasy series at the moment and have accurately guessed all the major stuff that was going to happen, and that is a good thing. It means that clues were left. It means that if someone is trying hard enough to find the little details and piece it together, they’ll be able to get a good idea of where the plot and characters are heading.
An “out there” plot twist does not = a satisfying story/ending.
teamgayotix