Some of the best movies of recent years prefer to pull back the curtain slowly on character and action, teasing the audience to come along for the ride.

Screenwriting books often discourage writers, especially new ones, from the “slow-burn” style, one that takes a deliberate approach to building character and advancing plot. Instead, they advise writers to dive into the action on page one, literally, to hook the audience immediately, and catch the eye of a producer, agent, or A-list actor.

However, some of the best movies of recent years prefer to pull back the curtain slowly on character and action, teasing the audience to come along for the ride. One of my favorites is Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country for Old Men (2007), based on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name. The Coens revel in the evil of the murderer Anton Chigurh and the tired pessimism of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, while building tension frame-by-frame.

Hook them immediately?

Up to this point, much of my screenplay writing has followed the hook-them-immediately approach, but I wanted to try a slower way. That led to my sixth completed screenplay “See Something, Say Nothing,” a feature-length mystery/thriller about a troubled airport security guard, who spots a suspicious package near a luggage carousel. Instead of reporting it, as she’s trained to do, she ignores it. As she leaves baggage claim, it explodes, setting the story in motion.

I lead up to that moment with several scenes that explore her character and her world, notably the use of surveillance drones. This approach seems to work best with mysteries and character-driven stories when you want the audience to become emotionally invested in the protagonist. For an action film, in contrast, a slow start would likely bore an audience looking for a shoot-em-up aesthetic.

Synopsis: ‘See Something, Say Something’

Here’s the first few paragraphs of the synopsis.

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The dashboard of a private patrol car illuminates the face of Hannah Sullivan, an airport security guard for Liberty Security Systems. During her rounds, she encounters an unlocked door. Uncertain and fearful, she investigates. The problem proves minor, but her anxiety triggers a flashback.

Nearing the end of her shift, she’s called into her boss’s office. Todd Wilson, is preparing her first evaluation. Todd asks if she’d like him to mentor her outside office hours. Hannah is non-committal, but nervous. She doesn’t want to lose her job, but she distrusts Todd. Distracted and anxious, she leaves work, passing through the airport’s international arrivals area.

She spots an unattended bag. Her training kicks in, but she hesitates, fearful of another encounter with Todd. She skips reporting what she sees and departs. Todd emerges from the LSS office, trying to get her attention. As he looks for her, he sees the unattended bag. He approaches it and calls for backup. There’s an explosion, and he is killed.

Some distance away, Hannah is blown off her feet by the blast, but she is uninjured. She returns to offer assistance, but she can do nothing. As the shock of the attack overwhelms her, FBI Agent Samantha “Sam” Collins, canvassing witnesses, speaks to Hannah. Sam says Hannah failed to report a suspicious package. Hannah acknowledges the error. Sam asks Hannah what she will do to fix it.

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Image credit: kewl from Pixabay