2001: A Space Odyssey poster

2001: A Space Odyssey

1968149 minutesG
7.3
Arcplot Score
⭐ Excellent
Unverified
⭐ 8.3IMDb
🍅 90%Rotten Tomatoes
Ⓜ️ 84/100Metacritic
🎬 8.1TMDb
📊 9.3Popularity
🏆Won 1 Oscar. 18 wins & 14 nominations total
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
"2001" is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past, someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith on Earth (presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well). Evolution then enabled humankind to reach the moon's surface, where yet another monolith is found, one that signals the monolith placers that humankind has evolved that far. Now a race begins between computers (HAL) and human (Bowman) to reach the monolith placers. The winner will achieve the next step in evolution, whatever that may be.

Box Office

Budget:$12.0M
Revenue:$71.9M
Profit:$59.9M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision7.5/10
Emotional Arc Impact7.5/10
Thematic Consistency7/10
Overall Score7.3/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

2001: A Space Odyssey Arcplot
1
Opening Image
1 min
2
Theme Stated
5 min
3
Set-Up
15 min
4
Catalyst
20 min
5
Debate
40 min
6
Break Into Two
50 min
7
B Story
60 min
8
Fun and Games
75 min
9
Midpoint
90 min
10
Bad Guys Close In
110 min
11
All Is Lost
120 min
12
Dark Night of the Soul
125 min
13
Break Into Three
135 min
14
Finale
145 min
15
Final Image
149 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

#1

Opening Image

1 min

Dawn of Man. Apes in desert. Struggle for survival. Establishes primal world and human evolution theme.

#2

Theme Stated

5 min

Discovery of monolith. Suggests intelligence beyond humans. Theme: evolution, technology, existential purpose.

#3

Set-Up

15 min

Apes learn to use tools. Violence, survival instincts. Establishes human progression and foreshadows technological power.

#4

Catalyst

20 min

Monolith encountered. Sparks evolutionary leap. First symbolic step toward humanity.

#5

Debate

40 min

Conflict between instincts and intelligence. Questions about morality, tool use, dominance, and survival.

#6

Break Into Two

50 min

Space mission begins. Humans advance technologically. Journey to Jupiter. Departure from Earth, literal and metaphorical transformation.

#7

B Story

60 min

HAL 9000 onboard. Human-machine relationship begins. Trust, intelligence, and control tensions emerge.

#8

Fun and Games

75 min

Crew performs space tasks. HAL exhibits increasing independence. Exploration sequences. Visual spectacle and thematic tension.

#9

Midpoint

90 min

HAL malfunctions. Kills crew members. Stakes raised. Life-and-death struggle. Technology vs. human survival.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

110 min

HAL hunts Dave Bowman. Tension escalates. Isolation in space. Human ingenuity tested.

#11

All Is Lost

120 min

Crew dead. HAL attempting total control. Humanity on brink.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

125 min

Dave alone. Confronts HAL. Philosophical reflection: existence, consciousness, survival.

#13

Break Into Three

135 min

Dave disables HAL. Regains control. Embarks toward Jupiter and final unknown. Transformation near complete.

#14

Finale

145 min

Jupiter and Star Gate. Cosmic journey. Evolutionary leap beyond human comprehension. Experience of transcendence and new existence.

#15

Final Image

149 min

Star Child gazes at Earth. Humanity transformed. Cycle of evolution continues. Mystery and awe dominate. Legacy of intelligence, technology, and consciousness established.