Breaking In
Shaun Russell takes her son and daughter on a weekend getaway to her late father's secluded, high-tech vacation home in the countryside. The family soon gets an unwelcome surprise when four men break into the house to find hidden money. After managing to escape, Shaun must now figure out a way to turn the tables on the desperate thieves and save her captive children.
Despite its tight budget of $6.0M, Breaking In became a commercial juggernaut, earning $49.1M worldwide—a remarkable 718% return. The film's fresh perspective attracted moviegoers, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
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%)
Breaking In (2018) showcases carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of James McTeigue's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 28 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Shaun Russell
Eddie
Jasmine Russell
Glover Russell
Sam
Duncan
Main Cast & Characters
Shaun Russell
Played by Gabrielle Union
A mother who must protect her children when intruders break into her late father's high-tech mansion.
Eddie
Played by Billy Burke
The leader of the criminal crew attempting to steal from the mansion, calculating and ruthless.
Jasmine Russell
Played by Ajiona Alexus
Shaun's teenage daughter who helps her mother fight back against the intruders.
Glover Russell
Played by Seth Carr
Shaun's young son who is held hostage inside the mansion.
Sam
Played by Levi Meaden
A member of Eddie's crew, tech-savvy and handles the security systems.
Duncan
Played by Richard Cabral
The most volatile member of the criminal crew, prone to violence.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Shaun Russell drives with her two children, Jasmine and Glover, to her estranged father's remote estate following his death. She's a devoted mother trying to manage the aftermath of her father's criminal past while protecting her kids.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Four criminals—Eddie, Sam, Duncan, and Peter—reveal themselves and take Jasmine and Glover hostage inside the house, locking Shaun outside. They're searching for her father's hidden safe containing millions of dollars.. 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 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Shaun makes the active choice to break INTO the house to save her children. She uses her knowledge of the property and sheer determination to breach the security system, fully committing to the dangerous rescue mission., moving from reaction to action.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Shaun temporarily gains the upper hand and nearly rescues one of her children, but the criminals recapture them and reveal the full extent of their willingness to harm the kids. The stakes raise dramatically—this is no longer just about money. False victory turns to harsh reality., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 67 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Shaun is captured, beaten, and the criminals threaten to kill her children in front of her. She appears completely defeated, helpless to protect them. This is her lowest point—the whiff of death hangs over her family, and all seems lost., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 71 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Shaun breaks free using a hidden reserve of strength and determination. She synthesizes everything she's learned about the house, the criminals' weaknesses, and her own capabilities. She becomes the aggressor, no longer running but hunting., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Breaking In'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 Breaking In against these established plot points, we can identify how James McTeigue utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Breaking In within the action genre.
James McTeigue's Structural Approach
Among the 4 James McTeigue films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.1, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Breaking In represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete James McTeigue filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more James McTeigue analyses, see V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin and The Raven.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Shaun Russell drives with her two children, Jasmine and Glover, to her estranged father's remote estate following his death. She's a devoted mother trying to manage the aftermath of her father's criminal past while protecting her kids.
Theme
Jasmine asks about her grandfather's past, and there's discussion about protecting family and doing whatever it takes for the people you love—establishing the theme of maternal protection and fierce devotion.
Worldbuilding
Shaun and her children arrive at the high-tech fortress-like mansion. We learn about her father's criminal history, the strained family relationships, and the house's advanced security system. The estate is isolated and filled with secrets.
Disruption
Four criminals—Eddie, Sam, Duncan, and Peter—reveal themselves and take Jasmine and Glover hostage inside the house, locking Shaun outside. They're searching for her father's hidden safe containing millions of dollars.
Resistance
Shaun desperately tries to find a way into the impenetrable house while the criminals threaten her children. She attempts to reason with them, call for help, and find weaknesses in the security system. She debates her options and realizes she must act.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Shaun makes the active choice to break INTO the house to save her children. She uses her knowledge of the property and sheer determination to breach the security system, fully committing to the dangerous rescue mission.
Mirror World
Shaun makes brief contact with her children through the security system, reinforcing their relationship and her motivation. The bond between mother and children becomes the emotional core that will drive her actions—they represent what she's fighting for.
Premise
The cat-and-mouse game intensifies. Shaun navigates through the house, using the security features against the criminals. She employs clever tactics, maternal instinct, and resourcefulness to evade capture while trying to reach her kids. This is the promise of the premise—a mother fighting back.
Midpoint
Shaun temporarily gains the upper hand and nearly rescues one of her children, but the criminals recapture them and reveal the full extent of their willingness to harm the kids. The stakes raise dramatically—this is no longer just about money. False victory turns to harsh reality.
Opposition
The criminals become more violent and desperate. Eddie, the leader, grows increasingly unstable. Shaun is wounded, exhausted, and the criminals systematically close off her options. They use her children as leverage, and her situation becomes more dire with each passing moment.
Collapse
Shaun is captured, beaten, and the criminals threaten to kill her children in front of her. She appears completely defeated, helpless to protect them. This is her lowest point—the whiff of death hangs over her family, and all seems lost.
Crisis
In her darkest moment, Shaun finds internal resolve. She processes the reality that she may die but refuses to let her children die. She taps into a primal maternal instinct that transcends fear and pain.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Shaun breaks free using a hidden reserve of strength and determination. She synthesizes everything she's learned about the house, the criminals' weaknesses, and her own capabilities. She becomes the aggressor, no longer running but hunting.
Synthesis
Shaun systematically eliminates the threats, using the house's security features as weapons. She outsmarts and overpowers the criminals one by one, saving her children through a combination of intelligence, resourcefulness, and fierce maternal love. The final confrontation with Eddie ends with Shaun triumphant.
Transformation
Shaun and her children leave the estate together, traumatized but alive and united. She has transformed from a woman trying to distance herself from her father's criminal world into a warrior who embraced that strength to protect her family. The family bond is stronger than ever.