Annette
Los Angeles, nowadays. Henry is a stand-up comedian with a fierce humor. Ann, an internationally renowned opera singer. Together, under the spotlight, they form a happy and glamorous couple. The birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious girl with an exceptional destiny, will turn their lives upside down.
The film financial setback against its mid-range budget of $15.5M, earning $3.7M globally (-76% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unique voice within the drama genre.
19 wins & 58 nominations
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%)
Annette (2021) exhibits meticulously timed narrative design, characteristic of Leos Carax's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 20 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.6, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Henry McHenry
Ann Defrasnoux
Annette
The Conductor
Main Cast & Characters
Henry McHenry
Played by Adam Driver
A provocative stand-up comedian whose dark humor masks deep insecurity and narcissism. His toxic relationship with Ann destroys both their lives.
Ann Defrasnoux
Played by Marion Cotillard
A celebrated opera singer with ethereal talent and beauty. Her marriage to Henry becomes a tragic prison that ends in suicide.
Annette
Played by Devyn McDowell
The mysterious infant daughter of Henry and Ann, born with an unsettling wooden puppet appearance and an extraordinary singing voice.
The Conductor
Played by Simon Helberg
Ann's former lover and musical collaborator who represents the artistic world she left behind for Henry.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Henry McHenry at the height of his fame as a provocative stand-up comedian, adored by crowds. Ann Defrasnoux is a celebrated opera singer, both living in their separate artistic worlds of acclaim.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when Ann becomes pregnant. The couple's private artistic lives are now interrupted by impending parenthood, shifting their relationship dynamic and introducing new stakes.. 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 35 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Annette is born as a wooden puppet, a grotesque manifestation of the couple's artistic and emotional dysfunction. Henry and Ann choose to raise her despite this surreal reality, entering a new world of parenthood marked by strangeness., moving from reaction to action.
At 70 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Henry murders Ann during a boat trip, drowning her in the ocean. This false "victory" for Henry (eliminating his rival) is actually his complete moral collapse, raising the stakes catastrophically., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 105 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Annette refuses to sing, Henry's exploitation scheme crumbles, and he is confronted by the Conductor and public suspicion. The truth about Ann's murder surfaces, and Henry loses everything - career, daughter, freedom., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 112 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Annette, now a real girl, visits Henry in prison. She confronts him with the truth about killing her mother, forcing Henry to face his guilt and acknowledge his destruction. Truth enables transformation., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Annette's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Annette against these established plot points, we can identify how Leos Carax utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Annette within the drama genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Henry McHenry at the height of his fame as a provocative stand-up comedian, adored by crowds. Ann Defrasnoux is a celebrated opera singer, both living in their separate artistic worlds of acclaim.
Theme
The conductor warns about the destructive nature of fame and artistic ego: "We love them, we hate them" - establishing the theme of how public adoration and artistic identity can corrupt and destroy.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Henry and Ann's whirlwind romance, their contrasting performance styles (comedy vs. opera), and the media's obsession with their relationship. The world of celebrity, performance, and public consumption is established.
Disruption
Ann becomes pregnant. The couple's private artistic lives are now interrupted by impending parenthood, shifting their relationship dynamic and introducing new stakes.
Resistance
Henry and Ann navigate the pregnancy, marriage, and the tension between artistic ambition and domestic life. Henry's dark, narcissistic tendencies begin to surface as he struggles with sharing Ann's attention.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Annette is born as a wooden puppet, a grotesque manifestation of the couple's artistic and emotional dysfunction. Henry and Ann choose to raise her despite this surreal reality, entering a new world of parenthood marked by strangeness.
Mirror World
The Conductor character emerges as a thematic observer and Ann's potential affair partner, representing an alternative to Henry's toxicity. This relationship subplot carries the film's questions about art, authenticity, and love.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - living with the bizarre reality of Annette as a puppet child. Henry's career declines while Ann's soars. Jealousy, resentment, and Henry's abusive behavior escalate as they navigate this strange family life.
Midpoint
Henry murders Ann during a boat trip, drowning her in the ocean. This false "victory" for Henry (eliminating his rival) is actually his complete moral collapse, raising the stakes catastrophically.
Opposition
Henry exploits Annette's miraculous singing voice for profit, touring her as a child prodigy while evading suspicion about Ann's death. His guilt manifests as paranoia, and Annette becomes his meal ticket and prisoner.
Collapse
Annette refuses to sing, Henry's exploitation scheme crumbles, and he is confronted by the Conductor and public suspicion. The truth about Ann's murder surfaces, and Henry loses everything - career, daughter, freedom.
Crisis
Henry's dark night of the soul as he faces his crimes. Arrested and imprisoned, he must confront what he has done and who he has become - a narcissist who destroyed everyone who loved him.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Annette, now a real girl, visits Henry in prison. She confronts him with the truth about killing her mother, forcing Henry to face his guilt and acknowledge his destruction. Truth enables transformation.
Synthesis
The final confrontation between Henry and Annette in prison. Henry confesses, accepts responsibility, and Annette walks away from him forever, choosing to live free from his toxicity. The cycle of abuse ends.
Transformation
Annette leaves the prison alone, now fully human, liberated from both her puppet form and her father's narcissistic control. She walks into the forest toward an uncertain but free future - transformation complete.