SCENES
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Scene Map 60
# PG SLUGLINE
1 2
INT CHEERLESS ROOM DAY
2 4
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM DAY
3 5
INT HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE DAY
4 7
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM DAY
5 9
INT LESTERCORP RECEPTION AREA CONTINUOUS
6 10
INT LESTER'S OFFICE CONTINUOUS
7 13
INT 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
8 16
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE' S KITCHEN NIGHT
9 18
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM NIGHT
10 19
INT LESTERCORP FILE ROOM MORNING
11 21
INT FILE ROOM MORNING
12 23
INT HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
13 25
INT JUICY JUICE BAR EVENING
14 28
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM NIGHT
15 30
INT HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
16 31
INT LESTER'S OFFICE DAY
17 32
INT VACANT OFFICE DAY
18 33
INT VACANT ROOM DAY
19 35
INT TAXI CONTINUOUS
20 36
INT MAXINE'S OFFICE LATER
21 39
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S BEDROOM NIGHT
22 41
INT LESTER'S DINING ROOM NIGHT
23 43
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE MORNING
24 45
INT JOHN MALKOVICH'S LIVING ROOM DAY
25 47
INT BERNARDO'S NIGHT
26 48
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S CAR NIGHT
27 51
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE MORNING
28 53
INT HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
29 54
INT DR. LESTER'S ALTAT ROOM NIGHT
30 55
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM NIGHT
31 56
INT MAXINE'S BEDROOM CONTINUOUS
32 59
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S KITCHEN MORNING
33 61
INT LESTER'S OFFICE MORNING
34 62
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM DAY
35 64
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM EVENING
36 66
INT MAXINE'S APARTMENT NIGHT
37 68
EXT APARTMENT BUILDING MORNING
38 69
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE CONTINUOUS
39 70
INT MEMBRANOUS TUNNEL DAY
40 72
EXT DITCH DAY
41 73
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT NIGHT
42 76
INT MALKOVICH'S APARTMENT NIGHT
43 77
INT LESTER'S OFFICE NIGHT
44 79
INT MALKOVICH'S BEDROOM NIGHT
45 81
INT LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM NIGHT
46 83
INT AGENT'S OFFICE DAY
47 84
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE DAY
48 85
INT LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM DAY
49 89
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT NIGHT
50 90
EXT VEGAS HOTEL NIGHT
51 92
INT SEWER NIGHT
52 93
INT HOTEL SUITE NIGHT
53 97
INT FLEMMER'S APARTMENT DAY
54 99
INT SEWER NIGHT
55 101
INT CATWALK ABOVE STAGE CONTINUOUS
56 103
INT BROADHURST STAGE - LATER STILL
57 105
INT CATWALK CONTINUOUS
58 106
EXT MANHATTAN STREET DAY
59 107
EXT CENTRAL PARK DAY
60 108
EXT MERTIN-FLEMMER BUILDING DAY
INT EXT INT/EXT hover for full slug
Scene Map
60
# PG SLUGLINE
1 2
INT CHEERLESS ROOM DAY
INT. CHEERLESS ROOM - DAY
INT. CHEERLESS ROOM - DAY The room is bare, dusty. A ceiling fan turns. The wall clock ticks. Craig, 30 years old and small, sits at a collapsible card table. The only item on the table is a book. Craig picks it up, looks at the jacket. It's entitled "Sit." Craig opens
2 4
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM DAY
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY The room is filled with penned and unpenned animals of all kinds: snakes, lizards, birds, a dog, cats, etc. Craig sits on the couch and looks at the want ads, the TV is on in the background. Elijah, the monkey, sits next to Craig holding
3 5
INT HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE DAY
INT. HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE - DAY
INT. HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE - DAY Craig and the headmistress chat over tea. Craig is quite animated and charming. The admiring headmistress smiles and nods her head in approval. CUT TO:
4 7
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM DAY
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY Craig reads the paper. He comes across an ad: "Female puppeteer wanted for nudist colony marionette staging of 'Oh, Calcutta!'" Craig rubs his chin. CUT TO:
5 9
INT LESTERCORP RECEPTION AREA CONTINUOUS
INT. LESTERCORP RECEPTION AREA - CONTINUOUS
INT. LESTERCORP RECEPTION AREA - CONTINUOUS All furniture is scaled down to fit into this low-ceilinged space. A few other short men sit reading tiny magazines. Craig approaches Floris, the receptionist. FLORIS
6 10
INT LESTER'S OFFICE CONTINUOUS
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Craig enters. Lester, a giant of an old man, sits hunched behind his tiny desk. LESTER Come in, Mr. Juarez. I'd stand, but,
7 13
INT 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
INT. 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY
INT. 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY Don and Wendy, two office workers, crouch in the hall and chat. Both hold cups of coffee. WENDY Hello, Don.
8 16
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE' S KITCHEN NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE' S KITCHEN - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE' S KITCHEN - NIGHT Lotte chops onions. A parrot sits on her head. Craig stirs a pot on the stove. A monkey leaps from the top of the cabinet to the top of the refrigerator to the kitchen table. A dog watches the monkey and barks at it.
9 18
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT The dining room table is set up. Craig and Lotte and their friends Peter and Gloria are seated and eating dinner. There is an obvious lull in the conversation. PETER
10 19
INT LESTERCORP FILE ROOM MORNING
INT. LESTERCORP FILE ROOM - MORNING
INT. LESTERCORP FILE ROOM - MORNING Craig in a cream colored suit, pours over the file cabinets. Floris watches from the doorway. FLORIS You're good.
11 21
INT FILE ROOM MORNING
INT. FILE ROOM - MORNING
INT. FILE ROOM - MORNING Craig files. Floris watches him from the doorway. Dr. Lester watches Floris from behind a cabinet. FLORIS Oh, what magic those fingers could
12 23
INT HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY
INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY Craig squats next to a payphone. CRAIG (into phone) I won't be late. I just have to listen
13 25
INT JUICY JUICE BAR EVENING
INT. JUICY JUICE BAR - EVENING
INT. JUICY JUICE BAR - EVENING Lester and Craig sit at a table. There are several emptied glasses of carrot juice in front of Lester. Craig nurses one glass, and keeps checking his watch. LESTER
14 28
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Lotte is combing Elijah. Craig enters. CRAIG Hi. LOTTE
15 30
INT HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY
INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY Craig waits at the coffee machine. Checks his watch. Finally Maxine approaches. CRAIG Hi.
16 31
INT LESTER'S OFFICE DAY
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - DAY
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - DAY Lester sits at his desk studying an instruction manual for a juicer. The spanking new juicer sits on his desk. There is an urgent knocking at the door. LESTER
17 32
INT VACANT OFFICE DAY
INT. VACANT OFFICE - DAY
INT. VACANT OFFICE - DAY Wendy crouches in the vacant office and studies the closed little door. Don enters. smiling. DON Hi. Wendy! What're you up to in this
18 33
INT VACANT ROOM DAY
INT. VACANT ROOM - DAY
INT. VACANT ROOM - DAY Craig opens the little door and climbs into the membranous hallway. The door slams shut behind him. CUT TO:
19 35
INT TAXI CONTINUOUS
INT. TAXI - CONTINUOUS
INT. TAXI - CONTINUOUS John Malkovich's POV from the back seat of the cab. The cab pulls away from the curb. MALKOVICH (V.O.) (resonant throughout)
20 36
INT MAXINE'S OFFICE LATER
INT. MAXINE'S OFFICE - LATER
INT. MAXINE'S OFFICE - LATER Maxine sits behind her desk with her feet up, and talks on the phone. MAXINE Absolutely, doll. I'm just about to
21 39
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S BEDROOM NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Craig and Lotte are getting into evening clothes. LOTTE Don't be ridiculous. There is no such thing as a portal into someone
22 41
INT LESTER'S DINING ROOM NIGHT
INT. LESTER'S DINING ROOM - NIGHT
INT. LESTER'S DINING ROOM - NIGHT It's a posh place with flocked wallpaper and candelabras. Lester, Craig, and Lotte sit around an elegantly appointed table with all different sorts of juices in front of them. Lotte is still wet. Lester sits quite close to her.
23 43
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE MORNING
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - MORNING
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - MORNING Maxine sits at her desk composing an ad. Craig stands behind her, ostensibly looking over her shoulder, but actually studying the back of her head. He sighs. MAXINE
24 45
INT JOHN MALKOVICH'S LIVING ROOM DAY
INT. JOHN MALKOVICH'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
INT. JOHN MALKOVICH'S LIVING ROOM - DAY Malkovich's POV. He sits on the couch. drinks coffee, and reads a copy of Awake and Sing. Bach plays on the stereo in the background. MALKOVICH
25 47
INT BERNARDO'S NIGHT
INT. BERNARDO'S - NIGHT
INT. BERNARDO'S - NIGHT Malkovich's POV. It's a busy Italian restaurant. Malkovich looks around, checks his watch: 8:03. A guy walks up to him. GUY Excuse me, are you John Malkovich?
26 48
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S CAR NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S CAR - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S CAR - NIGHT Craig drives. Lotte is soaking wet. She stares out the window. CRAIG So how was it? What was he doing?
27 51
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE MORNING
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - MORNING
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - MORNING It is deadly silent. Craig and Maxine sit at their desks. The wall clock ticks. Craig whistles tunelessly, every once in a while looking up and discreetly checking out Maxine. Eventually there is a knock at the door.
28 53
INT HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR DAY
INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY
INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY The hall outside Craig and Maxine's office sports a long line of crouching fat people, all clutching cash in their hands. CUT TO:
29 54
INT DR. LESTER'S ALTAT ROOM NIGHT
INT. DR. LESTER'S ALTAT ROOM - NIGHT
INT. DR. LESTER'S ALTAT ROOM - NIGHT Many cloaked people in the room kneeling with candles in hand before the lit photo of Malkovich. Lotte kneels in the back row. They chant: DISCIPLES OF MALKOVICH
30 55
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Craig is putting stuff in boxes. Lotte enters in her cloak. LOTTE What are you doing? CRAIG
31 56
INT MAXINE'S BEDROOM CONTINUOUS
INT. MAXINE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
INT. MAXINE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS The phone rings. Maxine sleepily picks it up. MAXINE Yes? LOTTE (O.S.)
32 59
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S KITCHEN MORNING
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S KITCHEN - MORNING
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S KITCHEN - MORNING Craig is hunched over a cup of coffee. The front door can be heard to open. After a moment Lotte appears in the kitchen doorway. She is caked with dirt. Craig looks up at her. CRAIG
33 61
INT LESTER'S OFFICE MORNING
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - MORNING
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - MORNING Lester sits at his desk. The intercom buzzes. LESTER (depressing switch) Yes, my dear?
34 62
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM DAY
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY Craig stands still and tense, with gun in hand. We hear the front door unlock. Lotte enters. She does not see Craig. He grabs her from behind as she passes. Lotte screams. Craig holds the gun to her head.
35 64
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM EVENING
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - EVENING
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S LIVING ROOM - EVENING Craig is feeding the various caged animals. He puts two plates of food in Elijah's cage. Lotte is ungagged and unbound now. She eats as Craig slumps down next to the cage, gun in hand. CRAIG
36 66
INT MAXINE'S APARTMENT NIGHT
INT. MAXINE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
INT. MAXINE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT A panicked Malkovich is pulling on his clothes. MALKOVICH Something was making me talk. Some Goddamn thing was making me move. I
37 68
EXT APARTMENT BUILDING MORNING
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - MORNING
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - MORNING Malkovich, in a baseball cap and sunglasses, leans against the wall. After a moment, Maxine emerges from the building and walks down the block. Malkovich follows at a safe distance.
38 69
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE CONTINUOUS
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Craig and Malkovich enter. Maxine looks up, startled, but controlling it. MAXINE Darling!
39 70
INT MEMBRANOUS TUNNEL DAY
INT. MEMBRANOUS TUNNEL - DAY
INT. MEMBRANOUS TUNNEL - DAY Malkovich crawls through. It's murky. He's tense. Suddenly there is a slurping sound. CUT TO: PSYCHEDELIC MONTAGE
40 72
EXT DITCH DAY
EXT. DITCH - DAY
EXT. DITCH - DAY Malkovich lands with a thud in the ditch. Craig is waiting there with his van. On its side is painted "See The World in Malk-O-Vision" followed by a phone number. Malkovich is huddled and shivering and soaking wet.
41 73
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Craig is feeding the animals. His gun is stuck in his pants. He gets to Lotte's cage. She is bound but ungagged. She looks haggard. LOTTE
42 76
INT MALKOVICH'S APARTMENT NIGHT
INT. MALKOVICH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
INT. MALKOVICH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT The doorbell rings. Malkovich answers it. Maxine stands there, dressed in an evening gown. MALKOVICH Come on in.
43 77
INT LESTER'S OFFICE NIGHT
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - NIGHT
INT. LESTER'S OFFICE - NIGHT Lester's hand is in a bloody bandage. The juicer sits on hi desk. Lotte sits across from him looking nervous and hollow- eyed. LESTER
44 79
INT MALKOVICH'S BEDROOM NIGHT
INT. MALKOVICH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
INT. MALKOVICH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Malkovich and Maxine lie naked on the bed, looking quite relaxed. MAXINE You still there, sweets?
45 81
INT LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM NIGHT
INT. LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM - NIGHT
INT. LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM - NIGHT The worshippers are assembled. Lotte stands before them. LOTTE I have sinned, unwittingly, against the community. And for this I am
46 83
INT AGENT'S OFFICE DAY
INT. AGENT'S OFFICE - DAY
INT. AGENT'S OFFICE - DAY A slick-looking agent answers a buzzing phone. AGENT Of course, send him right in. Don't ever keep him waiting again. Do you
47 84
INT CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE DAY
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - DAY
INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - DAY The cult members are still there, now with picks shovels. They are worn out and sweaty. The portal is excavated, but it seems ragged and destroyed. Man #2 emerges from the hole, a rope tied around his waist.
48 85
INT LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM DAY
INT. LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM - DAY
INT. LESTER'S SHRINE ROOM - DAY The cult members mill about, drinking coffee, chatting. Lester enters with the cult member who picked him up at the ditch. All quiet down and look over at him. LESTER
49 89
INT CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
INT. CRAIG AND LOTTE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Lotte site in the living room, in her pajamas, softly sobbing. The caged animals watch her. LOTTE Oh, my friends. Be thankful you're
50 90
EXT VEGAS HOTEL NIGHT
EXT. VEGAS HOTEL - NIGHT
EXT. VEGAS HOTEL - NIGHT The marquee reads: World's Greatest Puppeteer Craig Schwartz and his Magical Puppet John Malkovich. CUT TO: INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
51 92
INT SEWER NIGHT
INT. SEWER - NIGHT
INT. SEWER - NIGHT Lotte sits sadly in the wet tunnel. She is scrunched-up against the damp cold. A small fire smolders in front of her. We hear footsteps approaching. It is Elijah, carrying supplies: food and blankets. He covers her with a blanket
52 93
INT HOTEL SUITE NIGHT
INT. HOTEL SUITE - NIGHT
INT. HOTEL SUITE - NIGHT Malkovich sits on the floor in silk pajamas. He is surrounded by newspaper clippings. He is drinking champagne from the bottle. Maxine is at a dressing table, brushing her hair. MALKOVICH
53 97
INT FLEMMER'S APARTMENT DAY
INT. FLEMMER'S APARTMENT - DAY
INT. FLEMMER'S APARTMENT - DAY Lester is watering Flemmer's plants. A key is heard in the door. Flemmer enters, a small carry-on bag slung over his shoulder. LESTER
54 99
INT SEWER NIGHT
INT. SEWER - NIGHT
INT. SEWER - NIGHT Lotte and Elijah, now dirty and drawn, are talking. Elijah uses sign language. ELIJAH (SUBTITLES) You've got to tell Craig what's going
55 101
INT CATWALK ABOVE STAGE CONTINUOUS
INT. CATWALK ABOVE STAGE - CONTINUOUS
INT. CATWALK ABOVE STAGE - CONTINUOUS Mantini leans against a rail and smokes a cigarette. Charles Nelson Reilly, in a tuxedo, confers with him in hushed tones. CHARLES NELSON REILLY You're doing beautifully, my boy. I
56 103
INT BROADHURST STAGE - LATER STILL
INT. BROADHURST STAGE - LATER STILL
INT. BROADHURST STAGE - LATER STILL Malkovich is in convulsions on the floor. Big dramatic convulsions. Truman scoops him up, and places him on the bench. Malkovich continues with the convulsions, milking it. Truman speaks.
57 105
INT CATWALK CONTINUOUS
INT. CATWALK - CONTINUOUS
INT. CATWALK - CONTINUOUS Flemmer watches Malkovich from above. He pulls out a walkie- talkie. FLEMMER (into walkie-talkie)
58 106
EXT MANHATTAN STREET DAY
EXT. MANHATTAN STREET - DAY
EXT. MANHATTAN STREET - DAY CHYRON: LATER THAT WEEK Something is wrong. It's a typical midtown street, but everything is painted gray: the buildings, the streets, the sidewalks, the cars. People walk along the streets, carrying
59 107
EXT CENTRAL PARK DAY
EXT. CENTRAL PARK - DAY
EXT. CENTRAL PARK - DAY Bird's eye view of the park. It's all painted gray. Every tree, every leaf. There's no sign of life. The camera moves in, through some gray trees and gray brush to: A LUSH GREEN OASIS CAMOUFLAGED ON THE TOP AND SIDES WITH
60 108
EXT MERTIN-FLEMMER BUILDING DAY
EXT. MERTIN-FLEMMER BUILDING - DAY
EXT. MERTIN-FLEMMER BUILDING - DAY A man-hole cover lifts. Lotte pokes her head out. The coast is clear. She emerges. Assumes the dead-eyed expression of the others, and enters the building. CUT TO:
INT EXT INT/EXT tap to expand
Take the Tour
Take the Tour

Being John Malkovich

A surreal satire about authorship and desire: a small-time puppeteer discovers how intoxicating it is to live inside another's life, and soon the world will kneel before whoever controls the head of a celebrity.

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Overview

Poster
Unique Selling Point

Being John Malkovich offers a unique and captivating premise that sets it apart from other films in the genre. The script's exploration of identity, individuality, and the consequences of our desires is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. The script's blend of surreal, darkly comedic, and philosophical elements creates a distinctive and compelling viewing experience that would appeal to a wide range of audiences, from fans of quirky, high-concept stories to those interested in more complex, character-driven narratives.

AI Verdict & Suggestions

Ratings are subjective. So you get different engines' ratings to compare.

Hover over verdict cards for Executive Summaries

GPT5
 Recommend
Grok
 Highly Recommend
Gemini
 Highly Recommend
DeepSeek
 Highly Recommend
Claude
 Recommend
Average Score: 9.2
Key Takeaways
For the Writer:
The script's singular, brilliant premise is its greatest asset — keep the surreal set pieces and the puppetry metaphors intact. To make the film leaner and emotionally satisfying, tighten the long middle by pruning repetitive ‘customer/cult’ beats (many of the ditch exits, orientation films and queued clients can be consolidated) and clarify a few operational rules of the portal early (timing, ejection mechanics, cumulative possession). Also deepen Craig's inner turning point so his moral slide (kidnapping, sexual control, final fate) reads as an earned arc rather than a sequence of escalating incidents. Finally, revisit a few dated/edgy comic beats (cross‑dressing, casual slurs) to preserve dark humor without alienating modern audiences.
For Executives:
This is high‑concept, auteur‑level material with clear festival and awards potential and a built‑in marketing hook (the literal portal into a celebrity's head). It’s commercially risky but uniquely marketable: strong auteur/director attachment and a marquee actor (Malkovich) could make it a prestige hit. Key production risks are mid‑act pacing that may lose mainstream viewers, the cost/complexity of signature set pieces (membranous tunnel, 7½ floor, giant marionettes), and sensitivity/legal issues around portrayal of real persons and dated comedic beats — addressable but real. With a director who can balance surreal spectacle and intimate stakes, modest trimming and sensitivity notes, this is a viable, distinct property worth developing.
See Details in P/C/R/HR Section
Story Facts
Genres:
Drama 45% Fantasy 35% Comedy 30% Romance 25% Thriller 20%

Setting: Contemporary, Various locations in New York City, including a surreal gray-painted Manhattan, a theater, and a hidden green oasis.

Themes: Identity and Self-Transformation, Escapism and the Desire for Power/Fulfillment, Illusion of Control and Manipulation, Consequences of Unchecked Ambition and Desire, The Nature of Performance and Art, Loneliness and the Search for Connection, The Absurdity of Existence, The Nature of Reality vs. Illusion

Conflict & Stakes: The central conflict revolves around Craig's obsession with controlling John Malkovich's mind, leading to emotional turmoil in his marriage with Lotte and the ethical implications of identity and autonomy.

Mood: Surreal and darkly comedic, with moments of introspection and emotional depth.

Standout Features:

  • Unique Hook: The concept of a portal into the mind of a famous actor, allowing exploration of identity and consciousness.
  • Major Twist: The revelation that Craig is a marionette controlled by Mantini, highlighting themes of control and manipulation.
  • Distinctive Setting: The surreal gray-painted Manhattan contrasted with vibrant hidden oases, emphasizing themes of oppression and liberation.
  • Innovative Ideas: The use of puppetry as a metaphor for control and identity, blending performance art with psychological exploration.
  • Unique Characters: A diverse cast with complex motivations, including a puppeteer, a famous actor, and a supportive monkey.

Comparable Scripts: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, The Hours, Synecdoche, New York, The Puppetmaster, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep, The Master

🎯 Your Top Priorities

Our stats model looked at how your scores work together and ranked the changes most likely to move your overall rating next draft. Ordered by the most reliable gains first.

You have more than one meaningful lever.

Improving Emotional Impact (Script Level) and Dialogue will have the biggest impact on your overall score next draft.

1. Emotional Impact (Script Level)
Big Impact Script Level
Your current Emotional Impact (Script Level) score: 7.7
Expected gain: ~18% closer to an "all Highly Recommends" score
Typical rewrite gain: +0.35 in Emotional Impact (Script Level)
Confidence: High (based on ~3,846 similar revisions)
  • This is your top opportunity right now. Focusing your rewrite energy here gives you the best realistic shot at raising the overall rating.
  • What writers at your level usually do: Writers at a similar level usually raise Emotional Impact (Script Level) by about +0.35 in one rewrite.
View Emotional Impact (Script Level) analysis
2. Dialogue
Moderate Impact Scene Level
Your current Dialogue score: 8.2
Expected gain: ~9% closer to an "all Highly Recommends" score
Typical rewrite gain: +0.25 in Dialogue
Confidence: High (based on ~2,902 similar revisions)
  • This is another strong option. If the top item doesn't fit your rewrite plan, this is a solid alternative.
  • What writers at your level usually do: Writers at a similar level usually raise Dialogue by about +0.25 in one rewrite.
View Dialogue analysis
3. Concept
Moderate Impact Scene Level
Your current Concept score: 8.5
Expected gain: ~9% closer to an "all Highly Recommends" score
Typical rewrite gain: +0.25 in Concept
Confidence: High (based on ~2,164 similar revisions)
  • This is another strong option. If the top item doesn't fit your rewrite plan, this is a solid alternative.
  • What writers at your level usually do: Writers at a similar level usually raise Concept by about +0.25 in one rewrite.
View Concept analysis

Script Level Analysis

Writer Exec

This section delivers a top-level assessment of the screenplay’s strengths and weaknesses — covering overall quality (P/C/R/HR), character development, emotional impact, thematic depth, narrative inconsistencies, and the story’s core philosophical conflict. It helps identify what’s resonating, what needs refinement, and how the script aligns with professional standards.

Screenplay Insights

Breaks down your script along various categories.

Overall Score: 8.03
Key Suggestions:
The script's core is wildly original and emotionally rich, but it needs sharper stakes and clearer motivations to land with audiences. Prioritize deepening the emotional conflict between Craig and Lotte (longer, quieter beats; clearer consequences), and tighten/clarify the portal by showing its mechanics and costs through active, visual beats rather than exposition. Also strengthen secondary players (Lester, Floris, Maxine) with one concrete backstory beat each so their actions feel inevitable rather than whimsical. Trim or combine mid‑section scenes that stall momentum and reallocate that time to high‑impact confrontations and the film’s philosophical payoffs.
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Story Critique

Big-picture feedback on the story’s clarity, stakes, cohesion, and engagement.

Key Suggestions:
Your concept is brilliant and distinctive — a surreal, philosophical ride that probes identity and desire — but the execution drifts. Tighten the spine: choose a clearer through-line (Craig’s failed selfhood vs. the portal’s ethical threat) and prune detours that don’t develop that conflict. Compress or merge scenes that repeat the same beat (disguises, jobs, jail, repeated ‘I’m a puppeteer’ moments) and deepen key emotional beats (Craig/Lotte fracture and Lotte’s transformation) so the surreal imagery always advances character choices and consequences.
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Characters

Explores the depth, clarity, and arc of the main and supporting characters.

Key Suggestions:
The character work is strong (distinct, large personalities) but the script needs a clearer emotional throughline: tighten Craig’s moral and psychological logic so each escalation (portal exploitation, violence, puppet/control obsession) feels inevitable and earned. Clarify Lotte’s internal turning points so her shift from supportive wife to revolutionary actor reads as agency rather than plot reaction. Make Maxine and Malkovich’s motivations slightly more legible (why she tolerates Craig, why he resists) so the thematic questions about identity vs. control land emotionally. Small rewrites that sharpen key beats — one early scene showing the origin of Craig’s need for validation, one intimate scene that decisively changes Lotte — will give the large, surreal plot an emotional spine.
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Emotional Analysis

Breaks down the emotional journey of the audience across the script.

Key Suggestions:
The analysis shows the script’s greatest asset is its daring tonal range and concept, but its emotional arc needs surgical tuning. Most urgently: preserve a thread of empathy for Craig as he descends—add one or two intimate, private beats where he reacts with fear, shame or conflicted remorse after first controlling Malkovich. Also smooth the intensity curve by adding short moments of genuine warmth (extend the reconciliation beat with Lotte, give Elijah an early empathic moment) and by slowing the reveal of key betrayals so the audience can feel the loss, not just see it. Minor structural edits—one quiet scene after a violent high, a micro-moment of joy before a fall, a hesitation before moral compromises—will make the metaphysical spectacle land emotionally.
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Goals and Philosophical Conflict

Evaluates character motivations, obstacles, and sources of tension throughout the plot.

Key Suggestions:
The analysis pins the script’s emotional engine on Craig’s struggle between identity and control. To strengthen the script, sharpen Craig’s throughline: make his internal need (to be seen/validated as an artist and as a man) drive every major choice and clarify the consequences of his attempts to control others (especially via Malkovich). Tighten and streamline subplots (the cult, Lester, Flemmer, the business schemes) so they amplify one central philosophical question rather than competing with it. Also give Lotte and Maxine clearer, active arcs that meaningfully challenge Craig — this will heighten stakes and make the philosophical reveal feel earned instead of portentous. Finally, choose a tonal register (dark fable vs black comedy vs surreal drama) and lean into it to keep audience sympathy and pacing consistent through the film’s many weird turns.
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Themes

Analysis of the themes of the screenplay and how well they’re expressed.

Key Suggestions:
This is a wildly imaginative, high‑concept script with a powerful central obsession: identity and the itch to become someone else. To lift it from fascinating to emotionally memorable, anchor the surreal spectacle in a clearer emotional throughline. Focus the screenplay on Craig’s interior stakes (what he will lose if he fails, what he must learn if he survives), tighten or combine episodic detours that dilute momentum, and make Lotte and Maxine fully agentive so their choices carry weight rather than feel like plot mechanisms. Keep the surrealism — but make cause-and-effect and emotional payoffs unmistakable so audiencese feel the cost of each transformation and the final twist lands as earned rather than arbitrary.
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Logic & Inconsistencies

Highlights any contradictions, plot holes, or logic gaps that may confuse viewers.

Key Suggestions:
The script’s central high-concept — a literal portal into John Malkovich’s mind — is compelling but currently undercut by unclear mechanics and uneven character motivation. First, explicitly define the portal’s rules early (who can enter, duration, sensory limits, ejection behavior, whether possession stacks or can be controlled). Use show-don’t-tell experiments and consistent cause-and-effect so later scenes (possession, mass-occupation, legal threats) feel earned. Second, tighten character arcs: give Craig believable escalation (why he moves from desperate artist to coercive aggressor) and deepen Lotte’s inner reasons for returning to the portal so their choices feel motivated, not arbitrary. Fixing the portal rules will also let you layer character stakes more clearly and keep the surreal parts emotionally resonant rather than confusing.
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Scene Analysis

All of your scenes analyzed individually and compared, so you can zero in on what to improve.

Scene-Level Percentile Chart
Hover over the graph to see more details about each score.
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Other Analyses

Writer Exec

This section looks at the extra spark — your story’s voice, style, world, and the moments that really stick. These insights might not change the bones of the script, but they can make it more original, more immersive, and way more memorable. It’s where things get fun, weird, and wonderfully you.

Unique Voice

Assesses the distinctiveness and personality of the writer's voice.

Key Suggestions:
Your voice — a sharp, deadpan mix of surreal absurdity and heartfelt melancholy — is the script's greatest asset. Lean into that singular tone, but tighten the emotional throughline: ensure each surreal vignette and comic set-piece serves a clear turn in Craig's inner journey. Trim episodic detours that repeat the same thematic beat (disguises, auditions, portal-commercializing) and lean scenes toward showing rather than explaining. Strengthen character-specific registers (so Maxine, Lotte, Lester, Craig all sound distinct), and let quieter moments breathe so the script's philosophical punches land emotionally rather than only intellectually.
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Writer's Craft

Analyzes the writing to help the writer be aware of their skill and improve.

Key Suggestions:
Your screenplay is wildly imaginative and tonally adventurous, but its emotional impact will strengthen most by sharpening the subtext in dialogue and clarifying character motivations. Prioritize rewrites that give each scene a clear objective for the POV character, use quieter beats to let surreal set-pieces land, and rewrite lines so conversations reveal desire and threat indirectly rather than via explanation. Tighten pacing by trimming or compressing episodic detours that don’t advance character stakes, and anchor the surreal with intimate, specific character choices so the audience can care amid the oddness.
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Memorable Lines
Spotlights standout dialogue lines with emotional or thematic power.
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Tropes
Highlights common or genre-specific tropes found in the script.
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World Building

Evaluates the depth, consistency, and immersion of the story's world.

Key Suggestions:
The world is rich, bold and distinct — a pitch-perfect mix of dark comedy, surreal fantasy and human drama — but its emotional impact suffers when the central fantastic device (the Malkovich portal) and the story’s rules feel inconsistent or serve spectacle over consequence. Tighten and codify the portal’s mechanics, clarify cause-and-effect, and anchor surreal set pieces to clear emotional stakes for Craig, Lotte and Maxine. Do that and the script’s invention will feel meaningful rather than arbitrary: each weird moment will advance character and theme rather than just amaze.
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Correlations

Identifies patterns in scene scores.

Key Suggestions:
Your script’s strongest asset is its high-concept surrealism—those scenes score highly for originality and imaginative world-building. But that strength also exposes a vulnerability: tonal shifts (humor, melancholy, surreal) sometimes diffuse dramatic urgency and can leave audiences unsure what to care about. Tighten the emotional through-line (pick one or two relationship anchors—Craig/Lotte and Craig’s puppeteer identity—and let them carry the stakes), keep the surreal imagery but clarify cause/effect so consequences feel earned, and lean into your clear gift for sarcastic dialogue to make character choices resonate amid the weirdness.
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Loglines
Presents logline variations based on theme, genre, and hook.
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