Beyond
One morning just before Christmas, Leena receives a phone call from a hospital in her childhood hometown telling her that her mother is dying. This news takes her on a journey to face her mother for the first time in her adult life. Leena has fought all her life to let go of her grief over her lost and dark childhood. She is now forced to deal with her past to be able to move on.
Working with a small-scale budget of $3.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $4.8M in global revenue (+60% profit margin).
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%)
Beyond (2010) demonstrates deliberately positioned dramatic framework, characteristic of Pernilla August's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 39 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.7, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The protagonist is introduced in their ordinary world, establishing their baseline reality before supernatural events intrude.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when The first undeniable supernatural encounter occurs, shattering the protagonist's sense of normal reality.. 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 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to The protagonist makes the active choice to cross into the supernatural realm or commit to understanding the paranormal events, leaving safety behind., moving from reaction to action.
At 50 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat A major revelation about the nature of the supernatural threat or the true stakes; what seemed manageable becomes dangerous and personal., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 74 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The protagonist experiences their darkest moment—a death (literal or metaphorical), complete loss of hope, or total defeat by the supernatural forces., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 79 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. A crucial revelation or synthesis of knowledge allows the protagonist to understand how to confront the supernatural threat with newfound clarity., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Beyond's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Beyond against these established plot points, we can identify how Pernilla August utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Beyond 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
The protagonist is introduced in their ordinary world, establishing their baseline reality before supernatural events intrude.
Theme
A supporting character hints at themes of what lies beyond death and the boundaries between worlds.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the protagonist's relationships, daily life, and the rules of their world before the supernatural intrusion.
Disruption
The first undeniable supernatural encounter occurs, shattering the protagonist's sense of normal reality.
Resistance
The protagonist resists accepting the supernatural events, seeks rational explanations, and debates whether to investigate further or retreat to safety.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The protagonist makes the active choice to cross into the supernatural realm or commit to understanding the paranormal events, leaving safety behind.
Mirror World
Introduction of a key relationship or entity from the other side that will carry the thematic exploration of life, death, and what lies beyond.
Premise
The protagonist explores the supernatural world, experiences increasingly intense paranormal phenomena, and begins to understand the rules of this realm.
Midpoint
A major revelation about the nature of the supernatural threat or the true stakes; what seemed manageable becomes dangerous and personal.
Opposition
The supernatural forces intensify their pressure, the protagonist's world collapses around them, and their attempts to fight back seem increasingly futile.
Collapse
The protagonist experiences their darkest moment—a death (literal or metaphorical), complete loss of hope, or total defeat by the supernatural forces.
Crisis
The protagonist processes their loss and despair, confronting their deepest fears about mortality and the supernatural.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
A crucial revelation or synthesis of knowledge allows the protagonist to understand how to confront the supernatural threat with newfound clarity.
Synthesis
The final confrontation with the supernatural forces, where the protagonist applies their hard-won understanding to resolve the conflict between worlds.
Transformation
The closing image shows how the protagonist has been transformed by their journey beyond the veil, demonstrating their new understanding of life and death.