Asteroid City
World-changing events spectacularly disrupt the annual Asteroid Day celebration in an American desert town.
Despite a mid-range budget of $25.0M, Asteroid City became a financial success, earning $53.9M worldwide—a 115% return.
4 wins & 86 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%)
Asteroid City (2023) reveals precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Wes Anderson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 45 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.7, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Augie Steenbeck
Midge Campbell
The Alien
General Grif Gibson
J.J. Kellogg
Stanley Zak
Woodrow Steenbeck
Dinah Campbell
Dr. Hickenlooper
Sandy Borden
Main Cast & Characters
Augie Steenbeck
Played by Jason Schwartzman
A war photographer and recent widower attending a Junior Stargazer convention with his gifted son.
Midge Campbell
Played by Scarlett Johansson
A famous movie actress also attending the convention, who develops a connection with Augie.
The Alien
Played by Jeff Goldblum
An extraterrestrial visitor who appears at Asteroid City and disrupts the convention.
General Grif Gibson
Played by Jeffrey Wright
A military general who quarantines Asteroid City after the alien encounter.
J.J. Kellogg
Played by Steve Carell
The motel manager of Asteroid City who witnesses the extraordinary events.
Stanley Zak
Played by Tom Hanks
The singing cowboy host of a local television show.
Woodrow Steenbeck
Played by Jake Ryan
Augie's scientifically gifted son attending the Junior Stargazer convention.
Dinah Campbell
Played by Grace Edwards
Midge's daughter, another talented young scientist at the convention.
Dr. Hickenlooper
Played by Tilda Swinton
The scientist organizing and overseeing the Junior Stargazer convention.
Sandy Borden
Played by Maya Hawke
A schoolteacher attending the convention with her star-gazing students.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The host introduces us to the fictional TV production. We see Augie Steenbeck driving through the desert with his four children and his father-in-law's ashes, heading to the Junior Stargazer Convention. His wife has recently died, but he hasn't told the children yet. A world of contained grief and unspoken truths.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when An alien spacecraft lands in Asteroid City during the ceremony, and a small alien emerges to take the meteorite. This cosmic disruption shatters the carefully controlled convention and the characters' attempts at normalcy. The military immediately quarantines everyone in the town.. At 11% 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 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 23% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Augie finally tells his children that their mother died three weeks ago. This active choice to share the truth - to stop maintaining the fiction - marks his entry into genuine emotional territory. He can no longer avoid the grief he's been compartmentalizing., moving from reaction to action.
At 46 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 44% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The government announces the alien encounter will be declared a hoax and covered up. This false defeat raises the stakes - the one extraordinary thing that gave meaning to their disruption will be erased. Characters must confront that cosmic mysteries offer no answers. Simultaneously, in the meta-narrative, the actor playing Augie has a crisis about the role., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Midge leaves abruptly without saying goodbye to Augie, ending their connection. This abandonment echoes the loss of his wife - another departure without closure. The actor playing Augie (in the meta-frame) meets the playwright's ghost, who cannot explain the play's meaning. The "death" here is of the hope for understanding and connection., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 74 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 70% of the runtime. Everyone leaves Asteroid City. The Junior Stargazers present their projects. Augie and his children continue their journey, now with the truth spoken between them. The meta-narrative resolves as the TV production concludes. The performance of grief and the actual grief merge. Life continues without full understanding, but with honest acknowledgment., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Asteroid City's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Asteroid City against these established plot points, we can identify how Wes Anderson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Asteroid City within the comedy genre.
Wes Anderson's Structural Approach
Among the 12 Wes Anderson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.3, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Asteroid City represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Wes Anderson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Wes Anderson analyses, see The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The host introduces us to the fictional TV production. We see Augie Steenbeck driving through the desert with his four children and his father-in-law's ashes, heading to the Junior Stargazer Convention. His wife has recently died, but he hasn't told the children yet. A world of contained grief and unspoken truths.
Theme
The play's writer or director (in the meta-narrative frame) discusses the meaning of the play: "You can't wake up if you don't fall asleep." The theme centers on processing grief, accepting the incomprehensible, and finding connection in isolation.
Worldbuilding
Establishing the world of Asteroid City - a remote desert town built around a meteorite crater. We meet the ensemble: gifted children and their parents gathered for the convention, the military base, local residents. Augie's car breaks down, stranding them. The rigid structure and isolation of the setting mirror the characters' emotional states.
Disruption
An alien spacecraft lands in Asteroid City during the ceremony, and a small alien emerges to take the meteorite. This cosmic disruption shatters the carefully controlled convention and the characters' attempts at normalcy. The military immediately quarantines everyone in the town.
Resistance
The quarantine begins. Characters resist and debate their new reality. Augie connects with Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), a famous actress also attending with her daughter. The military and scientists try to manage the situation. No one knows what to do with this incomprehensible event. Augie still hasn't told his children about their mother's death.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Augie finally tells his children that their mother died three weeks ago. This active choice to share the truth - to stop maintaining the fiction - marks his entry into genuine emotional territory. He can no longer avoid the grief he's been compartmentalizing.
Premise
Life under quarantine in Asteroid City. The promise of the premise: quirky characters dealing with an alien encounter in classic Wes Anderson style. Children conduct experiments, parents grapple with the situation, Augie and Midge grow closer. The meta-narrative frame interweaves, showing the actors and production. The alien returns briefly.
Midpoint
The government announces the alien encounter will be declared a hoax and covered up. This false defeat raises the stakes - the one extraordinary thing that gave meaning to their disruption will be erased. Characters must confront that cosmic mysteries offer no answers. Simultaneously, in the meta-narrative, the actor playing Augie has a crisis about the role.
Opposition
Pressure intensifies. The cover-up proceeds. Some characters attempt escape from quarantine. Relationships strain under the weight of denial and unexplained experience. The actor playing Augie (in the frame narrative) struggles with understanding his character's grief. The line between the play and reality blurs. Isolation deepens.
Collapse
Midge leaves abruptly without saying goodbye to Augie, ending their connection. This abandonment echoes the loss of his wife - another departure without closure. The actor playing Augie (in the meta-frame) meets the playwright's ghost, who cannot explain the play's meaning. The "death" here is of the hope for understanding and connection.
Crisis
Augie processes the loss and lack of answers. The meta-narrative shows the actor grappling with the same emptiness. The quarantine ends but nothing is resolved. Characters return to their lives with an unexplained experience they're told didn't happen. The darkness of living without meaning or closure.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Everyone leaves Asteroid City. The Junior Stargazers present their projects. Augie and his children continue their journey, now with the truth spoken between them. The meta-narrative resolves as the TV production concludes. The performance of grief and the actual grief merge. Life continues without full understanding, but with honest acknowledgment.