News of the World
Five years after the end of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks), a veteran of three wars, now moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe. On the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna (Helena Zengel), a 10-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier and raised as one of their own. Johanna, hostile to a world she's never experienced, is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two will face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place that either can call home.
The film financial setback against its respectable budget of $38.0M, earning $12.7M globally (-67% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its bold vision within the action genre.
Nominated for 4 Oscars. 5 wins & 81 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%)
News of the World (2020) exhibits carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Paul Greengrass's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 58 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.6, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Captain Kidd travels alone through post-Civil War Texas, a widower reading news to isolated towns for dimes, emotionally disconnected and going through the motions of survival.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Kidd discovers a overturned wagon with a dead Black man (a freedman) and Johanna, a young white girl raised by Kiowa, traumatized and feral, speaking only Kiowa.. 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 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Kidd chooses to take responsibility for Johanna and transport her to her aunt and uncle, embarking on the dangerous journey together despite his desire to remain uninvolved., moving from reaction to action.
At 60 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat In a brutal confrontation with would-be traffickers in Erath County, Kidd and Johanna must fight together for survival, raising the stakes and deepening their bond while revealing the world's cruelty., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 89 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Kidd delivers Johanna to her aunt and uncle, who are cold and see her as property/labor; he walks away despite her desperate cries, repeating his pattern of emotional disconnection and abandonment., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 94 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Kidd returns, retrieves Johanna from her abusive relatives, and brings her home to his town; he rebuilds his life with her as his adopted daughter, finding purpose in fatherhood and community., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
News of the World's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping News of the World against these established plot points, we can identify how Paul Greengrass utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish News of the World within the action genre.
Paul Greengrass's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Paul Greengrass films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. News of the World takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Paul Greengrass filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Paul Greengrass analyses, see The Bourne Supremacy, United 93 and Green Zone.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Captain Kidd travels alone through post-Civil War Texas, a widower reading news to isolated towns for dimes, emotionally disconnected and going through the motions of survival.
Theme
At his first reading, a townsperson discusses how people need connection and shared stories to rebuild after the war - "news of the world" brings people together.
Worldbuilding
Establishing Kidd's routine as an itinerant news reader in lawless Texas, his isolation, the dangerous post-war landscape, and his refusal to engage emotionally with others.
Disruption
Kidd discovers a overturned wagon with a dead Black man (a freedman) and Johanna, a young white girl raised by Kiowa, traumatized and feral, speaking only Kiowa.
Resistance
Kidd tries to hand Johanna off to authorities but is told he must transport her to relatives 400 miles away; he resists responsibility, wanting to maintain his isolated existence.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Kidd chooses to take responsibility for Johanna and transport her to her aunt and uncle, embarking on the dangerous journey together despite his desire to remain uninvolved.
Premise
Kidd and Johanna journey together, facing dangers and learning to communicate; he teaches her about his world while she reminds him of connection, family, and what it means to protect someone.
Midpoint
In a brutal confrontation with would-be traffickers in Erath County, Kidd and Johanna must fight together for survival, raising the stakes and deepening their bond while revealing the world's cruelty.
Opposition
The journey grows harder; Kidd confronts his own past traumas from the war, Johanna resists her destination, and both face the reality that their time together is ending.
Collapse
Kidd delivers Johanna to her aunt and uncle, who are cold and see her as property/labor; he walks away despite her desperate cries, repeating his pattern of emotional disconnection and abandonment.
Crisis
Kidd returns to his empty routine, but cannot escape the realization that he abandoned Johanna just as he's abandoned life itself; he confronts his grief, loss, and inability to move forward.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Kidd returns, retrieves Johanna from her abusive relatives, and brings her home to his town; he rebuilds his life with her as his adopted daughter, finding purpose in fatherhood and community.