Trance
A violent gang enlists the help of a hypnotherapist in an attempt to locate a painting which somehow vanished in the middle of a heist.
Working with a respectable budget of $20.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $24.3M in global revenue (+22% profit margin).
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%)
Trance (2013) demonstrates meticulously timed story structure, characteristic of Danny Boyle's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-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.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Simon, an art auctioneer, narrates his ordinary world working at a prestigious auction house, explaining the security protocols for protecting valuable art. He appears professional, composed, and in control.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when During a robbery, Simon attempts to protect Goya's "Witches in the Air" but is struck on the head by gang leader Franck. The painting goes missing, and Simon wakes with amnesia, unable to remember where he hid it.. 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 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Simon enters his first hypnotherapy session with Elizabeth. He actively chooses to submit to the treatment, crossing into a world where his memories, reality, and identity will be completely unraveled., moving from reaction to action.
At 52 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat A major revelation: Elizabeth and Simon had a previous romantic relationship that he's forgotten. The power dynamic shifts—Elizabeth isn't just the therapist, she's personally involved. False defeat: Simon realizes he can't trust his own memories., 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 (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The devastating truth emerges: Simon was Elizabeth's abusive ex-lover. He tormented her, stalked her, and she orchestrated the entire scheme—the heist, the amnesia, everything—as revenge. Simon's identity as victim dies; he's the monster., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 82 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 82% of the runtime. The finale unfolds with revelations about the painting's location and the complete scope of Elizabeth's plan. Violence erupts as Franck and his crew are eliminated. Elizabeth and Simon execute the endgame, resolving both the heist and their twisted relationship., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Trance's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Trance against these established plot points, we can identify how Danny Boyle utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Trance within the thriller genre.
Danny Boyle's Structural Approach
Among the 12 Danny Boyle films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.6, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Trance represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Danny Boyle filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional thriller films include Eye for an Eye, Lake Placid and Operation Finale. For more Danny Boyle analyses, see The Beach, T2 Trainspotting and 28 Days Later.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Simon, an art auctioneer, narrates his ordinary world working at a prestigious auction house, explaining the security protocols for protecting valuable art. He appears professional, composed, and in control.
Theme
During the heist preparation scene, a character warns: "No piece of art is worth a human life." This theme of what we truly value—art, money, memory, truth—will be tested throughout the film.
Worldbuilding
Establishes Simon's expertise in art and his role in the auction house. We see the high-stakes world of fine art, security procedures, and the protocol for protecting paintings. Simon appears to be a reliable professional in this glamorous but dangerous world.
Disruption
During a robbery, Simon attempts to protect Goya's "Witches in the Air" but is struck on the head by gang leader Franck. The painting goes missing, and Simon wakes with amnesia, unable to remember where he hid it.
Resistance
Franck and his crew torture Simon to recover the painting's location, but his amnesia appears genuine. Franck debates whether to kill Simon or find another way. They decide to use hypnotherapy, and Simon suggests Dr. Elizabeth Lamb.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Simon enters his first hypnotherapy session with Elizabeth. He actively chooses to submit to the treatment, crossing into a world where his memories, reality, and identity will be completely unraveled.
Premise
The "promise of the premise"—a psychological thriller where reality bends. Hypnotherapy sessions reveal fragmented memories. Simon and Elizabeth grow closer. Erotic tension builds. The line between victim and conspirator blurs as we explore Simon's subconscious.
Midpoint
A major revelation: Elizabeth and Simon had a previous romantic relationship that he's forgotten. The power dynamic shifts—Elizabeth isn't just the therapist, she's personally involved. False defeat: Simon realizes he can't trust his own memories.
Opposition
Elizabeth manipulates both Simon and Franck, playing them against each other. Violent confrontations escalate. Jealousy and paranoia intensify. The search for the painting becomes secondary to the psychological warfare. Simon's fragmented memories reveal darker truths about who he really is.
Collapse
The devastating truth emerges: Simon was Elizabeth's abusive ex-lover. He tormented her, stalked her, and she orchestrated the entire scheme—the heist, the amnesia, everything—as revenge. Simon's identity as victim dies; he's the monster.
Crisis
Simon processes the horror of what he was and what he's done. Elizabeth has completely rewritten his personality through hypnosis. The dark night: Simon must confront whether he wants to return to who he was or embrace this new identity.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale unfolds with revelations about the painting's location and the complete scope of Elizabeth's plan. Violence erupts as Franck and his crew are eliminated. Elizabeth and Simon execute the endgame, resolving both the heist and their twisted relationship.
Transformation
Simon, transformed and freed from his abusive past through induced amnesia, walks away. The closing image mirrors the opening but inverted: he's still narrating, still controlled and composed, but now he's a fundamentally different person—rebuilt by someone else's design.