Underworld
Vampires and werewolves have waged a nocturnal war against each other for centuries. But all bets are off when a female vampire warrior named Selene, who's famous for her strength and werewolf-hunting prowess, becomes smitten with a peace-loving male werewolf, Michael, who wants to end the war.
Despite a mid-range budget of $22.0M, Underworld became a solid performer, earning $95.7M worldwide—a 335% return.
1 win & 10 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%)
Underworld (2003) reveals carefully calibrated story structure, characteristic of Len Wiseman's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 2 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.6, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Selene
Michael Corvin
Viktor
Lucian
Kraven
Erika
Main Cast & Characters
Selene
Played by Kate Beckinsale
A vampire Death Dealer who hunts Lycans, begins questioning her loyalty to Viktor when she uncovers the truth about her past.
Michael Corvin
Played by Scott Speedman
A human medical student who becomes the first vampire-lycan hybrid, caught between two warring species.
Viktor
Played by Bill Nighy
An ancient vampire elder who awakens prematurely, harboring dark secrets about Selene's family and the vampire-lycan war.
Lucian
Played by Michael Sheen
The leader of the Lycans thought to be dead, orchestrating a plan to create a hybrid and end vampire dominance.
Kraven
Played by Shane Brolly
An ambitious vampire regent who secretly conspires with Lucian while maintaining his position in the vampire coven.
Erika
Played by Sophia Myles
A vampire aristocrat and Viktor's daughter who desires power and Kraven's attention.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Selene perches on a rain-soaked rooftop in her leather Death Dealer gear, surveying the city below while her voiceover establishes the centuries-old war between Vampires and Lycans. She is a soldier defined entirely by her mission of vengeance.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Selene discovers the Lycans are tracking a specific human—Michael Corvin—rather than hunting randomly. This deliberate targeting of a human breaks the pattern of the war she knows and suggests the Lycans have a larger plan she doesn't understand.. 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 30 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Selene makes the forbidden choice to awaken Viktor a century ahead of schedule, defying coven law and Kraven's authority. This irreversible act of insubordination commits her to a path of questioning everything she's been told about the war and her leaders., moving from reaction to action.
At 62 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Lucian captures Michael and reveals the truth: he seeks to create a hybrid of both species using the blood of Alexander Corvinus's descendants. The Lycans were once slaves to vampires, not equals at war. This false defeat shatters Selene's understanding of the conflict—the war she's fought for centuries is built on lies and oppression., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 90 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Selene accesses Viktor's blood memories and discovers the horrifying truth: Viktor himself murdered her family, not the Lycans. He turned her into a vampire because she resembled his executed daughter Sonja. Everything Selene believed about her savior and her purpose has been a monstrous lie. Her entire identity collapses., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 97 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Selene makes her choice: she bites Michael to complete his hybrid transformation and save his life, fully committing to him over her vampire heritage. This act of love and defiance synthesizes her warrior nature with her newfound capacity for independent moral judgment., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Underworld's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Underworld against these established plot points, we can identify how Len Wiseman utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Underworld within the fantasy genre.
Len Wiseman's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Len Wiseman films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.5, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Underworld represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Len Wiseman filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional fantasy films include Thinner, Ella Enchanted and Conan the Barbarian. For more Len Wiseman analyses, see Total Recall, Underworld: Evolution and Live Free or Die Hard.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Selene perches on a rain-soaked rooftop in her leather Death Dealer gear, surveying the city below while her voiceover establishes the centuries-old war between Vampires and Lycans. She is a soldier defined entirely by her mission of vengeance.
Theme
Selene's voiceover states that Viktor "trusted no one" and that the war has been built on ancient hatreds passed down through generations. The theme of inherited beliefs and blind loyalty to authority figures is established—foreshadowing that such trust may be misplaced.
Worldbuilding
The vampire coven's hierarchy is established: the Elders sleep in rotation, Kraven leads in Viktor's absence, and Death Dealers hunt Lycans. Selene is shown as the most dedicated warrior, obsessed with the hunt. The subway shootout demonstrates the brutality of the shadow war hidden from humanity.
Disruption
Selene discovers the Lycans are tracking a specific human—Michael Corvin—rather than hunting randomly. This deliberate targeting of a human breaks the pattern of the war she knows and suggests the Lycans have a larger plan she doesn't understand.
Resistance
Selene investigates Michael against Kraven's orders, following her instincts rather than the chain of command. She saves Michael from a Lycan attack, and he is bitten by Lucian. Selene struggles with whether to report her findings or handle things herself, sensing Kraven is hiding something about his supposed killing of Lucian.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Selene makes the forbidden choice to awaken Viktor a century ahead of schedule, defying coven law and Kraven's authority. This irreversible act of insubordination commits her to a path of questioning everything she's been told about the war and her leaders.
Mirror World
Selene brings the infected Michael to the mansion and tends to his wounds, showing unexpected compassion. Their connection deepens as she sees him not as a human or enemy but as a person caught between worlds—mirroring her own growing sense of displacement from the coven she once served without question.
Premise
Selene navigates the political intrigue of the coven while protecting Michael and investigating Lucian's true plan. Viktor awakens and reasserts control. The promise of the premise delivers gothic vampire aesthetics, gunfights, and the forbidden romance between a vampire warrior and a human becoming a hybrid. Michael's transformation progresses as both sides hunt him.
Midpoint
Lucian captures Michael and reveals the truth: he seeks to create a hybrid of both species using the blood of Alexander Corvinus's descendants. The Lycans were once slaves to vampires, not equals at war. This false defeat shatters Selene's understanding of the conflict—the war she's fought for centuries is built on lies and oppression.
Opposition
Viktor refuses to believe Selene's warnings about Kraven's treachery and the hybrid threat. Kraven's conspiracy with Lucian is revealed—he made a deal to kill the Elders and rule the vampires. Selene is branded a traitor for her association with Michael. The noose tightens as both Kraven and Viktor turn against her while Michael completes his transformation into a hybrid.
Collapse
Selene accesses Viktor's blood memories and discovers the horrifying truth: Viktor himself murdered her family, not the Lycans. He turned her into a vampire because she resembled his executed daughter Sonja. Everything Selene believed about her savior and her purpose has been a monstrous lie. Her entire identity collapses.
Crisis
Selene reels from the revelation that Viktor is her family's true murderer. Lucian is killed by Kraven but manages to inject himself with Michael's hybrid blood first. The battle erupts in the Lycan den. Selene must choose between the loyalty she's held for six centuries and the truth she cannot deny.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Selene makes her choice: she bites Michael to complete his hybrid transformation and save his life, fully committing to him over her vampire heritage. This act of love and defiance synthesizes her warrior nature with her newfound capacity for independent moral judgment.
Synthesis
The final confrontation unfolds. Michael, now a powerful hybrid, battles Viktor while Selene fights alongside him. Viktor nearly kills Michael, forcing Selene to make the ultimate choice. She drives Viktor's own sword through his skull, killing her maker and false father figure—executing justice for her family at last.
Transformation
Selene and Michael flee into the dawn together, now hunted by both species. Where she once perched alone on rooftops as a soldier of blind faith, she now walks beside her hybrid lover as an independent being who chose truth over loyalty. She has transformed from obedient Death Dealer to self-determined outcast who fights for what she believes, not what she's told.