Strange World
A journey deep into an uncharted and treacherous land, where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades—a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest, and by far most crucial, mission.
The film commercial failure against its massive budget of $180.0M, earning $73.6M globally (-59% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its fresh perspective within the animation genre.
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%)
Strange World (2022) exemplifies carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Don Hall's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 42 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.6, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Searcher Clade is a celebrated farmer in Avalonia, content with his quiet life growing the revolutionary energy plant Pando, having abandoned his father's legacy of exploration.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Callisto arrives to reveal that Pando is dying across Avalonia, threatening civilization. She needs Searcher to join an expedition into the earth to find the source of the problem.. 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 reveals the protagonist's commitment to The expedition ship descends through a massive chasm into the strange subterranean world beneath Avalonia, leaving the familiar world behind and entering the bizarre ecosystem below., moving from reaction to action.
At 51 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Jaeger suddenly appears, having survived 25 years in the strange world. The reunion is tense—Jaeger still obsessed with exploration while Searcher has rejected that legacy, now their conflict extends to Ethan's future., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 76 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The team discovers the horrifying truth: the entire strange world is actually a giant living creature, and Pando is an infection killing it. Saving Avalonia means destroying the world. Everything they worked for was wrong., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 82 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Searcher makes the choice to destroy the Pando roots and save the creature, accepting that Avalonia must find a new way. He realizes true legacy isn't about paths chosen but teaching adaptability and courage., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Strange World'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 Strange World against these established plot points, we can identify how Don Hall utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Strange World within the animation genre.
Don Hall's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Don Hall films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Strange World represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Don Hall filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional animation films include The Bad Guys, The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie and Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. Presage Flower. For more Don Hall analyses, see Raya and the Last Dragon.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Searcher Clade is a celebrated farmer in Avalonia, content with his quiet life growing the revolutionary energy plant Pando, having abandoned his father's legacy of exploration.
Theme
Ethan says "You can't be afraid to forge your own path" to Searcher, establishing the film's central theme about breaking free from parental expectations and defining yourself.
Worldbuilding
Avalonia's Pando-powered civilization is introduced. Searcher has built a life opposite to his explorer father Jaeger, raising son Ethan to farm. We see the family dynamics and Ethan's secret desire for adventure.
Disruption
Callisto arrives to reveal that Pando is dying across Avalonia, threatening civilization. She needs Searcher to join an expedition into the earth to find the source of the problem.
Resistance
Searcher resists leaving his farm but reluctantly agrees to go. His family secretly stows away—son Ethan seeking adventure and wife Meridian refusing to be left behind. The crew prepares for the journey underground.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The expedition ship descends through a massive chasm into the strange subterranean world beneath Avalonia, leaving the familiar world behind and entering the bizarre ecosystem below.
Mirror World
Ethan bonds with Diazo, a sentient blob creature from the strange world. Their friendship represents the theme of accepting differences and finding your own path despite others' expectations.
Premise
The Clades explore the breathtaking and dangerous strange world, discovering its bizarre creatures and environments. The family navigates external threats while internal conflicts about legacy and independence simmer.
Midpoint
Jaeger suddenly appears, having survived 25 years in the strange world. The reunion is tense—Jaeger still obsessed with exploration while Searcher has rejected that legacy, now their conflict extends to Ethan's future.
Opposition
Three generations clash over values. Jaeger pushes exploration; Searcher demands safety; Ethan seeks his own identity. They locate the Pando root system but discover it's actually harming the strange world's ecosystem.
Collapse
The team discovers the horrifying truth: the entire strange world is actually a giant living creature, and Pando is an infection killing it. Saving Avalonia means destroying the world. Everything they worked for was wrong.
Crisis
The Clades face an impossible choice. The creature's immune system attacks them. Jaeger refuses to accept the truth, creating deeper rifts. Searcher must confront that his life's work has been harmful.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Searcher makes the choice to destroy the Pando roots and save the creature, accepting that Avalonia must find a new way. He realizes true legacy isn't about paths chosen but teaching adaptability and courage.
Synthesis
The family works together—combining Jaeger's explorer skills, Searcher's plant knowledge, and Ethan's adaptability—to eliminate the Pando infection. Jaeger finally accepts their choice. They save the creature and escape.
Transformation
Back in Avalonia, the Clades farm together using new sustainable methods. Searcher and Jaeger have reconciled. Ethan confidently pursues his own path as a explorer-farmer hybrid, forging his unique identity.