Writing Blog Number 2

20240704 How Not To Write A Story - Video Essay

How Not To Write A Story - Video Essay

I watched the video that will make up the bulk of this blog post the day it came out; I find myself agreeing with a lot of Cynical's opinions, so it is nice hearing them reflected. But I had not seen Damsel. I watched his video, and thought, That looks like shit, and so vowed not to bother.

Then one of the ladies I help at the library said it was so good to see a story where the woman was the hero. I mentioned Alien, Terminator, and Halloween. "But," she said, "the adverts say this is the first!"

Not only not the first, I told her, apparently not very good.

She asked if I'd seen it. I told her I hadn't. The next day she brought it to me on USB - she'd PVRed it - and I watched it. She asked me what I thought.

I told her it was a plothole in search of a story, and the main character relied on every deus ex machina under the sun to succeed. But, I said, if she liked it, cool.

I think Cynical was too kind on it.

This is an example of truly awful story-telling. Not quite as bad as Bright, which is truly shocking and logically makes no sense at all, but not good at all. At least most of the acting is decent in this. Most. I think Millie Bobby Brown is not a good actor, and this film confirms that.

Anyway, I think Cynical puts it far better than I ever could.

This is 21 minutes long, has lots of swears (which I know upsets USians - kill people, fine! nude bodies and swearing - AUGH!), and rambles a little, but he is right.

Damsel is an example of how not to tell a story.