My Bloody Valentine
Ten years after a Valentine's Day tragedy claimed the lives of five miners, Harry Warden returns for a vengeful massacre among teen sweethearts gearing up for another party.
Despite a mid-range budget of $15.0M, My Bloody Valentine became a runaway success, earning $102.8M worldwide—a remarkable 586% 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%)
My Bloody Valentine (2009) exemplifies precise narrative architecture, characteristic of Patrick Lussier's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 41 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Tom Hanniger
Sarah Palmer
Axel Palmer
Harry Warden
Main Cast & Characters
Tom Hanniger
Played by Jensen Ackles
Mine owner's son who returns to town after a decade, haunted by a tragic mining accident he caused
Sarah Palmer
Played by Jaime King
Tom's former girlfriend, now married to the sheriff, caught between her past and present
Axel Palmer
Played by Kerr Smith
The town sheriff and Sarah's husband, suspicious of Tom and protective of his family
Harry Warden
Played by Richard John Walters
The original miner killer who survived a mining accident and went on a murderous rampage on Valentine's Day
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Valentine's Day at the Hanniger Mine. Young miners prepare for the holiday celebration while Tom Hanniger shirks his duties, establishing the carefree world before tragedy strikes.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Harry Warden attacks the Valentine's Day party at the mine, killing multiple people. Tom confronts the killer in the mines. This massacre destroys the town's innocence and Tom's life.. 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 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 23% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Tom decides to stay in Harmony despite the painful memories and hostility. The killings begin again, forcing Tom into the investigation and confrontation with his past guilt., moving from reaction to action.
At 50 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat False defeat: Evidence increasingly points to Tom as the killer. He has blackouts and finds blood on his clothes. The town and Axel turn against him, raising stakes as Tom questions his own sanity and guilt., 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 (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Sarah is kidnapped by the killer and taken into the mines. Tom's worst fear realized: his past actions now directly threaten the woman he loves. The "whiff of death" as Sarah faces imminent murder., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 80 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Tom fully commits to confronting the killer in the mines, synthesizing his knowledge of the mine layout with newfound courage. The revelation: Axel is the killer, driven mad by jealousy and the original trauma., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
My Bloody Valentine'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 My Bloody Valentine against these established plot points, we can identify how Patrick Lussier utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish My Bloody Valentine within the horror genre.
Patrick Lussier's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Patrick Lussier films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. My Bloody Valentine represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Patrick Lussier filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Thinner, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Mary Reilly. For more Patrick Lussier analyses, see Drive Angry, Aftermath and Dracula 2000.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Valentine's Day at the Hanniger Mine. Young miners prepare for the holiday celebration while Tom Hanniger shirks his duties, establishing the carefree world before tragedy strikes.
Theme
A character mentions that "the past always catches up with you" during discussion of the mine's history and Harry Warden, foreshadowing the film's exploration of guilt, accountability, and buried trauma.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Harmony, the mining town, and the love triangle between Tom, Sarah, and Axel. Tom's negligence causes a mine accident, trapping Harry Warden who awakens from coma and massacres hospital staff on Valentine's Day.
Disruption
Harry Warden attacks the Valentine's Day party at the mine, killing multiple people. Tom confronts the killer in the mines. This massacre destroys the town's innocence and Tom's life.
Resistance
Time jump: Ten years later. Tom returns to Harmony to sell the mine after his father's death. He debates whether to face his past or flee again. Sarah is now with Axel (the sheriff), creating tension.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Tom decides to stay in Harmony despite the painful memories and hostility. The killings begin again, forcing Tom into the investigation and confrontation with his past guilt.
Mirror World
Tom reconnects with Sarah, who represents the life and love he abandoned. Their relationship becomes the emotional subplot that explores whether redemption and forgiveness are possible after devastating mistakes.
Premise
The promise of the premise: slasher investigation. Bodies pile up in creative kills. Tom and Axel investigate while competing for Sarah. Paranoia builds about whether Harry Warden survived or if there's a copycat.
Midpoint
False defeat: Evidence increasingly points to Tom as the killer. He has blackouts and finds blood on his clothes. The town and Axel turn against him, raising stakes as Tom questions his own sanity and guilt.
Opposition
Tom is hunted by both the killer and the law. Axel's obsession with destroying Tom intensifies. The killer becomes more aggressive. Tom's isolation deepens as everyone believes he's the murderer, including Sarah.
Collapse
Sarah is kidnapped by the killer and taken into the mines. Tom's worst fear realized: his past actions now directly threaten the woman he loves. The "whiff of death" as Sarah faces imminent murder.
Crisis
Tom descends into the mines alone, facing his deepest trauma. Dark night of processing guilt and fear before finding resolve to save Sarah and confront the truth, whatever it may be.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Tom fully commits to confronting the killer in the mines, synthesizing his knowledge of the mine layout with newfound courage. The revelation: Axel is the killer, driven mad by jealousy and the original trauma.
Synthesis
Final confrontation in the mine tunnels. Tom fights Axel to save Sarah. The truth about the past emerges: guilt, obsession, and madness. Tom must overcome both the killer and his own psychological demons.
Transformation
Twist ending reveals Tom has been the killer all along, his mind fractured by guilt. The "transformation" is the dark revelation of his complete psychological break, mirroring the opening but showing total corruption instead of growth.