News of the World poster
Movie

News of the World(2020)

DramaWesternAdventure
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Runtime 118 min
Written by Paul Greengrass, Luke Davies
IMDb6.9/10

Synopsis

A Texan traveling across the wild West bringing the news of the world to local townspeople, agrees to help rescue a young girl who was kidnapped.

Cast

Tom HanksHelena ZengelMichael Angelo CovinoRay McKinnonMare WinninghamElizabeth MarvelFred HechingerBill Camp

Script Structure and Narrative Analysis

Scene Intensity Over Runtime

Full analysis available to members

Scene-by-scene intensity, act structure, pacing score, and narrative insights.

Analysis locked
See Sample Analysis
Act Structure
5-Act
Scenes
151
Pacing Score
85
Runtime
118 min

Pacing Verdict

The screenplay demonstrates excellent pacing, with a strong narrative drive that builds momentum through the 5-act structure. The early acts establish Kidd's routine and the journey's stakes efficiently, while the middle acts balance tense action sequences (the chase with Almay, the confrontation in Durand) with quieter character-building moments between Kidd and Johanna. The final act's emotional resolution and return to the reading stage provide a satisfying release, though the extended journey through the plains in Act 4 occasionally loses forward thrust.

Unlock the Art of the Story.

Map narrative intensity scene by scene, benchmarked against 364 produced screenplays. See exactly where News of the World sits against films in the same genre.

Quanten Arc is built on analysis of publicly available scripts. We surface original narrative insights. Source material is never reproduced.

Questions or takedown requests? Contact us.