Jacob's Ladder

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Vietnam 1971: Jacob Singer and his platoon rest in the jungle. The "before" state shows Jacob as a soldier in a relatively calm moment before chaos erupts. This establishes his military context and the war that will define everything to follow.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Jacob experiences a terrifying vision on the subway: faceless creatures, a tentacled entity, and reality fragmenting around him. This is the first major hallucinatory break that makes his "normal" life impossible to sustain. Something is wrong, and it's getting worse.. 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 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 27% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Jacob and his veteran friends decide to hire a lawyer and investigate what happened to them in Vietnam. This is Jacob's active choice to pursue the truth rather than ignore the visions. He commits to uncovering the conspiracy, entering a darker world of paranoia and danger., moving from reaction to action.

At 57 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat False defeat: Jacob's lawyer abandons the case, his platoon friends deny everything and abandon him, leaving him completely alone. The conspiracy seems to have won. Stakes raise dramatically—he's now isolated with no allies and his grip on reality deteriorating. The visions intensify., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 84 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jacob is trapped in a hellish hospital, wheeled on a gurney through gore-filled corridors toward what appears to be his death/dismemberment. This is the literal "whiff of death"—the darkest moment where he seems to be dying or descending into hell. Louis rescues him, but Jacob is at his absolute lowest point., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Synthesis at 92 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 82% of the runtime. Jacob ascends the stairs with Gabe into brilliant light, finally at peace. The finale resolves the narrative: we cut back to Vietnam where Jacob lies dying on a field stretcher, a medic pronouncing him dead. His entire "life" in New York was a dying hallucination as he let go of earthly attachments., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.