All Is Lost
During a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, a veteran mariner awakes to find his vessel taking on water after a collision with a stray shipping container. With his radio and navigation equipment disabled, he sails unknowingly into a violent storm and barely escapes with his life. With any luck, the ocean currents may carry him into a shipping lane -- but, with supplies dwindling and the sharks circling, the sailor is forced to face his own mortality.
The film struggled financially against its modest budget of $9.0M, earning $6.1M globally (-32% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the action genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
All Is Lost (2013) exemplifies deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of J.C. Chandor's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 46 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Our Man
Main Cast & Characters
Our Man
Played by Robert Redford
An unnamed sailor fighting for survival after his yacht is damaged by a shipping container in the Indian Ocean. Resourceful and determined, he faces the elements alone with minimal dialogue.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The sailor awakens to find his yacht taking on water after colliding with a floating shipping container. His isolated existence on the Indian Ocean is established.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when He discovers that all his electronic navigation and radio equipment has been destroyed by saltwater. He is now completely cut off from the world, unable to call for help or know his position.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to He commits to abandoning his damaged yacht, building a makeshift water collection system and preparing the life raft. He actively chooses to prepare for survival rather than rely on the failing vessel., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The life raft is destroyed by the storm. The man floats in the ocean with only a small emergency container. He is dying, accepting his fate. The "whiff of death" is literal—he is drowning in the vast indifference of the sea., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 85 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. A rescue boat approaches. A hand reaches down into the water toward him as he sinks into the depths. The finale synthesizes his struggle: human connection saves him after his solitary battle against indifferent nature., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
All Is Lost's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping All Is Lost against these established plot points, we can identify how J.C. Chandor utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish All Is Lost within the action genre.
J.C. Chandor's Structural Approach
Among the 4 J.C. Chandor films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. All Is Lost takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete J.C. Chandor filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more J.C. Chandor analyses, see Margin Call, Kraven the Hunter and A Most Violent Year.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The sailor awakens to find his yacht taking on water after colliding with a floating shipping container. His isolated existence on the Indian Ocean is established.
Theme
Opening voiceover: "I'm sorry. I know that means little at this point, but I am. I tried." Theme of acceptance, mortality, and human fragility against nature is stated.
Worldbuilding
The man assesses the damage to his vessel, the Virginia Jean. He patches the hull breach, pumps out water, and attempts to restore his navigation and communication systems. His competence and solitary nature are established.
Disruption
He discovers that all his electronic navigation and radio equipment has been destroyed by saltwater. He is now completely cut off from the world, unable to call for help or know his position.
Resistance
The sailor improvises navigation using a sextant and paper charts. He attempts repairs, rations supplies, and prepares for the challenges ahead. He debates his options but has no choice but to sail toward shipping lanes.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
He commits to abandoning his damaged yacht, building a makeshift water collection system and preparing the life raft. He actively chooses to prepare for survival rather than rely on the failing vessel.
Mirror World
A violent storm approaches on the horizon. Nature emerges as the true antagonist—indifferent, powerful, and relentless. The man's relationship with the sea will test his will to survive.
Premise
The man faces increasingly severe challenges: violent storms, equipment failures, and dwindling supplies. He demonstrates remarkable ingenuity and resilience, manually steering through storms and catching rainwater. The promise of a survival-at-sea film unfolds.
Opposition
The ship passes without seeing him. A catastrophic storm destroys the yacht completely, forcing him into the life raft. His situation deteriorates rapidly as supplies run out, the raft is damaged, and sharks circle. Nature closes in.
Collapse
The life raft is destroyed by the storm. The man floats in the ocean with only a small emergency container. He is dying, accepting his fate. The "whiff of death" is literal—he is drowning in the vast indifference of the sea.
Crisis
The man floats in darkness, barely conscious. He has given up. In the void, he experiences the dark night of the soul—complete surrender to death, processing the end with quiet dignity.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
A rescue boat approaches. A hand reaches down into the water toward him as he sinks into the depths. The finale synthesizes his struggle: human connection saves him after his solitary battle against indifferent nature.