Very Bad Things
A group of friends head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party.. only things go wrong and a woman is killed. Soon, the bodies are piling up and the friends find themselves turning against one another as the coverup builds.
The film commercial failure against its moderate budget of $30.0M, earning $9.9M globally (-67% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its innovative storytelling within the comedy genre.
2 wins & 3 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%)
Very Bad Things (1998) reveals meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Peter Berg's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 40 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.5, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Kyle and Laura prepare for their perfect wedding. Laura obsesses over every detail while Kyle appears as a mild-mannered groom-to-be, establishing the pristine suburban life they're building.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when At the Vegas hotel suite, a prostitute (Tina) is accidentally killed during a sexual encounter with Michael. The bachelor party instantly transforms from celebration to crime scene. The disruption is violent, shocking, and irreversible.. 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 reveals the protagonist's commitment to The group actively chooses to dispose of the bodies in the desert. This is their point of no return - they transition from accidental killers to deliberate conspirators. They cross into the criminal underworld by burying the evidence and swearing to secrecy., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 48% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Adam breaks down and confesses to his wife Lois, violating the pact. This false defeat raises the stakes dramatically - the secret is out, threatening everyone. Moore learns of the confession and the paranoia intensifies. The stakes shift from external (getting caught) to internal (turning on each other)., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 74 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Boyd, consumed by guilt and unable to live with what they've done, drives his minivan into oncoming traffic in a murder-suicide, killing himself, his wife, and his young son. The "whiff of death" becomes literal - innocence dies, and the cost of the cover-up becomes unbearable., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 79 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Kyle realizes Laura has become just like Moore - willing to sacrifice anything for the appearance of perfection. The wedding will go forward regardless of the bodies. He sees clearly that they deserve each other, and accepts his transformation into someone capable of living with murder., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Very Bad Things's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Very Bad Things against these established plot points, we can identify how Peter Berg utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Very Bad Things within the comedy genre.
Peter Berg's Structural Approach
Among the 9 Peter Berg films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Very Bad Things represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Peter Berg filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Peter Berg analyses, see Lone Survivor, The Rundown and Deepwater Horizon.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Kyle and Laura prepare for their perfect wedding. Laura obsesses over every detail while Kyle appears as a mild-mannered groom-to-be, establishing the pristine suburban life they're building.
Theme
Robert Moore casually remarks about consequences and how "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" - foreshadowing the moral compromise that will define the story. The theme: how far will ordinary people go to protect their self-interest?
Worldbuilding
Introduction of the five friends heading to Vegas for Kyle's bachelor party: Kyle (the groom), Robert Moore (real estate agent), Boyd (anxious father), Michael (mechanic), and Adam (Moore's brother). Wedding preparations continue with Laura's controlling perfectionism. The guys depart for Las Vegas promising clean fun.
Disruption
At the Vegas hotel suite, a prostitute (Tina) is accidentally killed during a sexual encounter with Michael. The bachelor party instantly transforms from celebration to crime scene. The disruption is violent, shocking, and irreversible.
Resistance
Panic and debate. Moore takes control, insisting they must cover it up to protect their lives. The group argues - some want to call police, others freeze in terror. Moore plays "devil's advocate" guide, convincing them that the truth will destroy everything. When security guard Carls discovers them, Moore kills him too, eliminating the choice to turn back.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The group actively chooses to dispose of the bodies in the desert. This is their point of no return - they transition from accidental killers to deliberate conspirators. They cross into the criminal underworld by burying the evidence and swearing to secrecy.
Mirror World
Return to "normal" life where Laura represents everything the lie is protecting. Her obsessive wedding planning and perfect suburban fantasy stands as a mirror to the moral rot underneath. The relationship becomes the B-story showing what Kyle sacrifices his integrity to preserve.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - watching ordinary men try to maintain normal lives while concealing murder. Boyd becomes increasingly unstable with guilt. Adam struggles with conscience. Moore enforces the pact with manipulation and intimidation. Kyle tries to focus on wedding plans while cracking under pressure. Dark comedy of social situations contrasted with criminal reality.
Midpoint
Adam breaks down and confesses to his wife Lois, violating the pact. This false defeat raises the stakes dramatically - the secret is out, threatening everyone. Moore learns of the confession and the paranoia intensifies. The stakes shift from external (getting caught) to internal (turning on each other).
Opposition
Everything unravels. Moore decides Adam and Lois must be killed to protect the secret. Boyd's guilt drives him to near-suicide. Kyle's relationship with Laura deteriorates as he becomes complicit in more violence. Moore kills Adam and Lois, making Kyle and Boyd accessories. The wedding approaches while bodies pile up. Laura discovers something is wrong but Kyle maintains the lie.
Collapse
Boyd, consumed by guilt and unable to live with what they've done, drives his minivan into oncoming traffic in a murder-suicide, killing himself, his wife, and his young son. The "whiff of death" becomes literal - innocence dies, and the cost of the cover-up becomes unbearable.
Crisis
Dark night before the wedding. Kyle and Laura separately process the catastrophic body count. Kyle is hollowed out, barely functional. The wedding - once the symbol of their perfect life - now feels like a grotesque farce built on corpses. Laura suspects but doesn't want to know the truth.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Kyle realizes Laura has become just like Moore - willing to sacrifice anything for the appearance of perfection. The wedding will go forward regardless of the bodies. He sees clearly that they deserve each other, and accepts his transformation into someone capable of living with murder.
Synthesis
The wedding proceeds. Michael arrives and threatens to confess to police. Moore and Laura conspire to kill him. During the reception, they lure Michael away and murder him, disposing of his body while wedding celebrations continue. Kyle participates, fully corrupted. The perfect wedding is achieved through final act of violence.
Transformation
Kyle and Laura drive away from their perfect wedding as newlyweds. They sit in silence, blood on their hands, having achieved the suburban dream through murder and moral annihilation. The final image mirrors the opening but shows complete corruption - they got everything they wanted and lost their humanity. A negative character arc completed.