Blade Runner poster

Blade Runner

1982117 minutesR
5.3
Arcplot Score
📝 Unconventional
Unverified
8.1IMDb
🍅 89%Rotten Tomatoes
Ⓜ️ 84/100Metacritic
🎬 7.9TMDb
📊 9.7Popularity
🏆Nominated for 2 Oscars. 13 wins & 22 nominations total
Directed by: Ridley Scott
In the early twenty-first century, the Tyrell Corporation, during what was called the Nexus phase, developed robots, called "replicants", that were supposed to aid society, the replicants which looked and acted like humans. When the superhuman generation Nexus 6 replicants, used for dangerous off-Earth endeavors, began a mutiny on an off-Earth colony, replicants became illegal on Earth. Police units, called "blade runners", have the job of destroying - or in their parlance "retiring" - any replicant that makes its way back to or created on Earth, with anyone convicted of aiding or assisting a replicant being sentenced to death. It's now November, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Rick Deckard, a former blade runner, is called out of retirement when four known replicants, most combat models, have made their way back to Earth, with their leader being Roy Batty. One, Leon Kowalski, tried to infiltrate his way into the Tyrell Corporation as an employee, but has since been able to escape. Beyond following Leon's trail in hopes of finding and retiring them all, Deckard believes part of what will help him is figuring out what the replicants wanted with the Tyrell Corporation in trying to infiltrate it. The answer may lie with Tyrell's fail-safe backup mechanism. Beyond tracking the four, Deckard faces a possible dilemma in encountering a fifth replicant: Rachael, who works as Tyrell's assistant. The issue is that Dr. Elden Tyrell is experimenting with her, to provide her with fake memories so as to be able to better control her. With those memories, Rachael has no idea that she is not human. The problem is not only Rachael's assistance to Deckard, but that he is beginning to develop feelings for her.

Box Office

Budget:$28.0M
Revenue:$41.7M
Profit:$13.7M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision3.5/10
Emotional Arc Impact7.5/10
Thematic Consistency5/10
Overall Score5.3/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

Blade Runner Arcplot
1
Opening Image
1 min
2
Theme Stated
10 min
3
Set-Up
22 min
4
Catalyst
32 min
5
Debate
44 min
6
Break Into Two
55 min
7
B Story
65 min
8
Fun and Games
75 min
9
Midpoint
87 min
10
Bad Guys Close In
97 min
11
All Is Lost
105 min
12
Dark Night of the Soul
110 min
13
Break Into Three
113 min
14
Finale
115 min
15
Final Image
117 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

#1

Opening Image

1 min

Rainy, dystopian Los Angeles; Deckard introduced as retired Blade Runner.

#2

Theme Stated

10 min

Theme: what it means to be human; artificial life vs. real humanity.

#3

Set-Up

22 min

Deckard tasked with hunting escaped replicants; introduction of Tyrell Corp and replicant characters.

#4

Catalyst

32 min

Replicants arrive on Earth; tension rises; first violent encounters.

#5

Debate

44 min

Deckard struggles morally; must decide if he can kill beings who are almost human.

#6

Break Into Two

55 min

Deckard pursues replicants into cityscape; investigative and action beats intensify.

#7

B Story

65 min

Rachel introduced; romantic and moral dimension added; human/empathy conflict.

#8

Fun and Games

75 min

Encounters with replicants; fighting, suspense, philosophical dialogue.

#9

Midpoint

87 min

Roy confronts Tyrell; existential climax for replicants; Deckard realizes complexity of his mission.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

97 min

Replicants on hunt; Deckard under pressure; danger peaks.

#11

All Is Lost

105 min

Rachael endangered; replicants threaten humans; sense of doom and moral dilemma.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

110 min

Deckard reflects on mortality, ethics, and love; emotional low point.

#13

Break Into Three

113 min

Deckard acts decisively to save Rachael; moral choice resolves internal conflict.

#14

Finale

115 min

Deckard escapes with Rachael; replicants defeated; resolution of survival and emotional journey.

#15

Final Image

117 min

Deckard and Rachael leave city; world still dystopian but hope exists; mirror of opening but human connection achieved.