Sorry We Missed You

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Ricky and Abbie sit in a social services office discussing their financial struggles. They've been living in council housing after losing their home in the 2008 crash, relying on Abbie's care work income while Ricky searches for employment. The opening establishes a family under economic pressure, barely staying afloat.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Ricky is offered a "franchise opportunity" as a delivery driver by Maloney. The catch: he must provide his own van. To afford the £1,400 deposit, Ricky must sell Abbie's car—her only means of getting between her scattered care clients. This forces an impossible choice that will disrupt their fragile balance.. 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 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Ricky signs the franchise contract, sells Abbie's car, and purchases the van. He commits fully to the delivery system, accepting the scanner that will track his every move and the punitive terms: fines for damaged parcels, no sick pay, 14-hour days to meet quotas. He has crossed into the gig economy's "mirror world" of false entrepreneurship., moving from reaction to action.

At 50 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Seb is caught spray-painting graffiti and brought home by police. Ricky arrives late to the confrontation, still in his uniform, and a heated argument erupts. Seb accuses his father of never being present and working for "slave drivers." Ricky, defensive and exhausted, slaps Seb. This false defeat marks the moment where Ricky's "opportunity" begins visibly destroying his family. The cost becomes undeniable., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 75 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, During the van robbery, Ricky is violently attacked by thieves who steal his scanner and parcels. He's left bleeding and injured but refuses to go to the hospital because taking time off will mean lost wages and more fines. This literal beating represents the system's violence—Ricky is broken physically and spiritually, yet still trapped by economic necessity., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 81 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Seb returns home and sees his father's deteriorated state. In a devastating confrontation, the family finally speaks the truth: this job is killing Ricky, destroying their family, and the promised "opportunity" was a lie. But Ricky cannot stop—they're trapped by debt for the van. There's no synthesis or realization that saves them, only the crushing understanding that they must continue or lose everything., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.