Edge of Darkness

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Detective Thomas Craven arrives home to an empty house, preparing to reunite with his daughter Emma who is coming home from college. He is shown as a dedicated Boston homicide detective and loving father awaiting his daughter's visit.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Emma is shotgunned to death on Craven's front porch as they leave the house together. He holds her dying in his arms. The police initially assume Craven was the target, but this event shatters his entire world and sets him on a path to uncover the truth.. 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 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Craven actively chooses to investigate Emma's death himself, defying orders and his colleagues' advice. He breaks into Emma's apartment and discovers evidence of radiation poisoning and conspiracy, committing himself to uncovering what she was really involved in., moving from reaction to action.

At 59 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Craven confronts Jack Bennett, Northmoor's head of security, who admits Emma was poisoned deliberately. The stakes escalate when Bennett is killed in front of Craven, showing the conspiracy will eliminate anyone who threatens exposure. The game has changed - this goes higher than he imagined., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 86 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Craven learns the full truth: Emma was deliberately poisoned with polonium for discovering Northmoor's illegal weapons program, and he is also dying from radiation exposure. His daughter is dead, he is dying, and the conspiracy reaches the highest levels of government. All seems lost., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 92 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Jedburgh reveals he will help Craven by eliminating the top conspirators himself. Craven gains the evidence and resolve to confront Northmoor CEO Jack Bennett directly. He synthesizes his detective skills with his father's rage to deliver justice., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.