The Boys
Every Monday evening, at the arena, eleven men get together to lovingly put on the jersey of the Boys, the hockey team of a "garage" league to which they belong. As Stan, their revered trainer, would affectionately say, they have the "puck" tattooed on their hearts. It doesn't matter if they are lawyers, policemen, mechanics or unemployed, as soon as they enter the locker room, everyone forgets their age, their work and their problems.
Despite its modest budget of $3.3M, The Boys became a box office success, earning $10.6M worldwide—a 221% return. The film's unconventional structure connected with viewers, demonstrating that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
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%)
The Boys (1997) exemplifies strategically placed narrative architecture, characteristic of Louis Saïa's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 47 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Brett Sprague arrives home from prison to his working-class family in suburban Sydney. The household is tense, dysfunctional, and simmering with barely suppressed violence and toxic masculinity.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Brett's aggression escalates at a family gathering. His volatile behavior and barely concealed rage make it clear he hasn't reformed in prison, threatening the fragile stability of the household.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Brett begins planning something sinister with his brothers. Stevie is pulled deeper into the family's criminal world, choosing loyalty to Brett over his relationship with Jackie and his chance at a normal life., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Brett's true nature is fully revealed through a disturbing act of violence or sexual aggression. The mask drops completely, and it becomes clear that something terrible is going to happen. The stakes are now life and death., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 80 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The brothers commit a horrific act of violence against a young woman. The "whiff of death" is literal—innocence is destroyed, and the point of no return is crossed. The crime that has been building throughout the film is executed., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 86 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Stevie must decide whether to protect his brothers or face the truth. The family must reckon with the consequences of their actions and years of enabling Brett's violence. Reality can no longer be denied., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Boys'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 The Boys against these established plot points, we can identify how Louis Saïa utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Boys within the comedy genre.
Louis Saïa's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Louis Saïa films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Boys exemplifies the director's characteristic narrative technique. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Louis Saïa filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Louis Saïa analyses, see The Boys II.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Brett Sprague arrives home from prison to his working-class family in suburban Sydney. The household is tense, dysfunctional, and simmering with barely suppressed violence and toxic masculinity.
Theme
Michelle warns Jackie about the dangerous nature of the Sprague men, particularly Brett. The theme of cycles of violence and whether one can escape family patterns is established.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the Sprague family dynamics: matriarch Sandra enabling her sons' behavior, youngest brother Stevie trying to maintain normalcy with girlfriend Jackie, middle brother Glenn caught between worlds, and Brett's menacing presence casting a shadow over everything.
Disruption
Brett's aggression escalates at a family gathering. His volatile behavior and barely concealed rage make it clear he hasn't reformed in prison, threatening the fragile stability of the household.
Resistance
The family attempts to navigate Brett's presence. Stevie debates whether to maintain distance or stay loyal to family. Jackie represents an outside perspective, questioning whether Stevie should remain tied to his toxic family.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Brett begins planning something sinister with his brothers. Stevie is pulled deeper into the family's criminal world, choosing loyalty to Brett over his relationship with Jackie and his chance at a normal life.
Mirror World
Jackie and Stevie's relationship intensifies as a counterpoint to Brett's toxicity. Jackie represents the possibility of love, normalcy, and escape from the cycle of violence, embodying the film's thematic question.
Premise
The brothers' criminal plans develop while family tensions escalate. Brett's psychological dominance over his brothers grows. Stevie is torn between two worlds, and the audience watches the inevitable tragedy unfold.
Midpoint
Brett's true nature is fully revealed through a disturbing act of violence or sexual aggression. The mask drops completely, and it becomes clear that something terrible is going to happen. The stakes are now life and death.
Opposition
Brett's plan moves forward with his brothers' complicity. Stevie is increasingly trapped, unable to break free from Brett's influence despite recognizing the danger. The family's dysfunction reaches a critical point as Sandra remains in denial.
Collapse
The brothers commit a horrific act of violence against a young woman. The "whiff of death" is literal—innocence is destroyed, and the point of no return is crossed. The crime that has been building throughout the film is executed.
Crisis
The aftermath of the crime. The brothers must confront what they've done. Stevie faces the horror of his complicity and the destruction of any hope for a normal life with Jackie. The darkness is overwhelming.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Stevie must decide whether to protect his brothers or face the truth. The family must reckon with the consequences of their actions and years of enabling Brett's violence. Reality can no longer be denied.
Synthesis
The final confrontation with consequences. The family structure collapses under the weight of truth. Whether through law enforcement involvement or internal reckoning, the cycle of violence and denial reaches its conclusion.
Transformation
The final image shows the devastating cost of family loyalty and the cycle of violence. Unlike the status quo, there is no hiding from the truth anymore. The transformation is tragic—innocence lost, lives destroyed.