I Can Quit Whenever I Want
Pedro, Arturo and Eligio are three college professors who lost their job because of economic crisis. Accidentally they find a solution for all of their problems; a multi-vitamin that allows them to party all night long without any side effects. The three professors will be launched into the world of nightclubs and the shady business, in order to market the merchandise. Of course, it seems that they are not as prepared for it as they thought.
Despite its tight budget of $4.8M, I Can Quit Whenever I Want became a solid performer, earning $11.8M worldwide—a 144% return.
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%)
I Can Quit Whenever I Want (2019) exhibits deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Carlos Therón's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 38 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Pietro, a brilliant but unemployed neuroscientist, struggles to make ends meet, tutoring students and facing mounting financial desperation in his cramped apartment.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Pietro discovers that he can synthesize a legal "smart drug" that mimics illegal substances but isn't technically banned, presenting both an opportunity and a moral dilemma.. 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 shows the protagonist's commitment to Pietro and his team make the active choice to go into the drug business together, assembling their crew and making their first batch for distribution., moving from reaction to action.
At 49 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat False victory: The operation is wildly successful, the team is making serious money, and they seem untouchable—but authorities begin to take notice and the stakes escalate significantly., 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 team is exposed, arrested, or someone is seriously hurt; their operation collapses and they face the devastating consequences of their choices—losing everything they gained and more., 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 80% of the runtime. Pietro gains crucial information or has a realization that allows him to use his intelligence legitimately to resolve the crisis, synthesizing his scientific skills with renewed ethical purpose., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
I Can Quit Whenever I Want'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 I Can Quit Whenever I Want against these established plot points, we can identify how Carlos Therón utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish I Can Quit Whenever I Want 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
Pietro, a brilliant but unemployed neuroscientist, struggles to make ends meet, tutoring students and facing mounting financial desperation in his cramped apartment.
Theme
A colleague remarks that "the system doesn't reward intelligence anymore," establishing the theme of educated people forced to compromise their ethics when society devalues their contributions.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Pietro's world of underemployed academics: his financial struggles, failed job interviews, brilliant mind going to waste, and the community of similarly desperate intellectuals around him.
Disruption
Pietro discovers that he can synthesize a legal "smart drug" that mimics illegal substances but isn't technically banned, presenting both an opportunity and a moral dilemma.
Resistance
Pietro wrestles with the decision, researches the legal loopholes, tests the drug, and begins recruiting his unemployed academic friends—each a specialist who can contribute to the operation.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Pietro and his team make the active choice to go into the drug business together, assembling their crew and making their first batch for distribution.
Mirror World
Pietro reconnects with a former love interest or develops a new relationship that represents the legitimate life he's leaving behind, embodying the choice between ethics and survival.
Premise
The "fun and games" of brilliant academics running a drug operation: using scientific precision, avoiding police through legal technicalities, making money, and enjoying their newfound success and relevance.
Midpoint
False victory: The operation is wildly successful, the team is making serious money, and they seem untouchable—but authorities begin to take notice and the stakes escalate significantly.
Opposition
Law enforcement closes in, real criminals take interest in their operation, internal conflicts emerge within the team, and the moral cost of their choices becomes increasingly apparent.
Collapse
The team is exposed, arrested, or someone is seriously hurt; their operation collapses and they face the devastating consequences of their choices—losing everything they gained and more.
Crisis
Pietro and his team face the emotional and legal fallout, questioning whether their intelligence and principles meant anything, confronting the darkness of what they've become.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Pietro gains crucial information or has a realization that allows him to use his intelligence legitimately to resolve the crisis, synthesizing his scientific skills with renewed ethical purpose.
Synthesis
Pietro executes a plan to make things right, faces the consequences of his actions, and resolves his relationship with the authorities, his team, and his own conscience.
Transformation
Pietro is shown in a new situation that mirrors the opening but reveals his transformation—perhaps teaching again or working legitimately, having learned that true value comes from integrity, not just intelligence.