Four Lions
Four Lions tells the story of a group of British jihadists who push their abstract dreams of glory to the breaking point. As the wheels fly off, and their competing ideologies clash, what emerges is an emotionally engaging (and entirely plausible) farce. In a storm of razor-sharp verbal jousting and large-scale set pieces, Four Lions is a comic tour de force; it shows that-while terrorism is about ideology-it can also be about idiots.
Working with a modest budget of $3.9M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $6.2M in global revenue (+59% profit margin).
1 BAFTA Award9 wins & 24 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%)
Four Lions (2010) demonstrates deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Chris Morris's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 37 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Omar films a jihadist training video with his inept cell members in a cluttered Sheffield flat, establishing the absurd incompetence of would-be terrorists attempting to appear threatening.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Omar and Waj decide to attend a jihadist training camp in Pakistan after Barry's increasingly dangerous rhetoric and incompetence threaten the group. This commitment moves them from theoretical plotting to actual militant training.. 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.
At 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The group votes on Barry's insane mosque-bombing plan versus Omar's London Marathon attack. Omar loses the vote, creating a fracture. Faisal is killed when he trips in a field wearing a bomb vest, providing the first real "whiff of death" and raising actual stakes., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 73 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Police raid the wrong house (Omar's brother's), shooting an innocent man. Omar realizes the catastrophic human cost of violence when confronted with real death. His son asks if he's going away, making Omar face that his actions will destroy his family., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 78 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Omar accepts he must go to the Marathon not to attack, but to try to save lives by stopping his friends. He crosses into Act 3 understanding the full moral weight of his choices, attempting redemption while knowing it may be impossible., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Four Lions's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Four Lions against these established plot points, we can identify how Chris Morris utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Four Lions within the comedy genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Omar films a jihadist training video with his inept cell members in a cluttered Sheffield flat, establishing the absurd incompetence of would-be terrorists attempting to appear threatening.
Theme
Omar's brother Ahmed tells him "You're gonna turn this country into a graveyard," establishing the thematic tension between misguided extremism and the humanity of ordinary Muslim life in Britain.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the dysfunctional terror cell: Omar the security guard leading, Waj the simple-minded follower, Faisal the bomb-maker, and Barry the white convert extremist. We see Omar's double life as a loving father and husband contrasted with his jihadist aspirations.
Disruption
Omar and Waj decide to attend a jihadist training camp in Pakistan after Barry's increasingly dangerous rhetoric and incompetence threaten the group. This commitment moves them from theoretical plotting to actual militant training.
Resistance
Omar lies to his wife Sofia about going to a family wedding while actually attending the Pakistan camp. Training montage shows their continued incompetence, culminating in Omar accidentally firing a rocket backwards, destroying the camp and killing Osama bin Laden.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The group manufactures explosives from peroxide and debates increasingly absurd targets: Barry wants to bomb a mosque to radicalize moderates, others suggest pharmacies or internet cafes. New recruit Hassan joins after Barry's crude recruiting. The dark comedy of incompetent terrorists planning mass murder unfolds.
Midpoint
The group votes on Barry's insane mosque-bombing plan versus Omar's London Marathon attack. Omar loses the vote, creating a fracture. Faisal is killed when he trips in a field wearing a bomb vest, providing the first real "whiff of death" and raising actual stakes.
Opposition
Omar regains control by lying about Faisal's death, claiming he was martyred. He manipulates Barry out of leadership and redirects to the Marathon plan. Police surveillance intensifies. The conspirators record martyrdom videos, and Omar's double life becomes increasingly unsustainable as his wife grows suspicious.
Collapse
Police raid the wrong house (Omar's brother's), shooting an innocent man. Omar realizes the catastrophic human cost of violence when confronted with real death. His son asks if he's going away, making Omar face that his actions will destroy his family.
Crisis
Omar attempts to call off the attack, but the others are already en route to the Marathon with bombs. He frantically tries to stop the plan he set in motion, realizing his ideology has led to inevitable tragedy.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Omar accepts he must go to the Marathon not to attack, but to try to save lives by stopping his friends. He crosses into Act 3 understanding the full moral weight of his choices, attempting redemption while knowing it may be impossible.
Synthesis
At the Marathon, Omar desperately tries to prevent the bombings. Waj, in a costume store, takes hostages as police surround him. Omar attempts to talk him down, but confusion leads to tragedy: Waj detonates, Barry attacks police and is shot, Hassan is arrested. Omar is cornered by police in Boots pharmacy.
Transformation
Omar, surrounded by police and holding his bomb, makes final eye contact with negotiators before the screen cuts to white, suggesting his detonation. The closing credits show the cell's martyrdom videos juxtaposed with their absurd reality, underlining the tragic waste of radicalization.