Film Review - Three Act Structure / Hot Fuzz (2009)

Once defined by Ancient Greek Philosopher Aristotle, the three act structure is a way of telling stories ever since stories have been a thing. A more recent definition comes from Syd Field’s Screenplay (1979). Field’s paradigm is the structure this review will be working with to explore the story of Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz (2009).

Fig. 1. Hot Fuzz Poster (2009)

Act 1

Exposition

This is the part of a film where it introduces the main character. In the case of Hot Fuzz, this is when the film introduces PC Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) and then proceeds to explain all his accomplishments and his job in the Police Service.

Inciting Incident

This is the moment in a film that sets the plot in motion. In Hot Fuzz, it's when Angel gets promoted to sergeant, but not in London, he is instead being transferred to Sandford, Gloucestershire. The few scenes are him slowly getting used to life in the country, while still trying to uphold his image of the law.

Plot Point #1

This is when a new point is made in the plot that becomes the main focus of the film. In Hot Fuzz, this is when two actors are found dead. It is said to be an accident, but Angel has his suspensions and believes it could be murder.

Act 2

Obstacles

This is when the challenges the characters face get even more difficult to overcome. Moving on in Hot Fuzz, more and more deaths keep happening and Angel gets more and more suspicious until...

Mid Point

This is the point of a film when everything starts to go wrong. In Hot Fuzz this is when Angel finally comes out and says that he thinks all the deaths are murders. No one believes him and he can't prove anything, so he falls into a state of depression.

Plot Point #2

This is when something, usually connected to plot point #1, happens that changes the course of the film. This happens in Hot Fuzz when someone is sent to kill Angel. The attacker fails and the sergeant is lead to the villains headquarters. There he finds that all of the village leaders are in a murderous cult to control the village. Angel confronts them but is chased off, only just saved by his friend, Danny (Nick Frost).

Act 3

Climax

This is the biggest point of a film. It is usually a final confrontation between the heroes and villains. In Hot Fuzz, it's when Angel walks into the police station, takes a bunch of weapons he had confiscated earlier in the film and then storms the village. He and Danny quickly dispatch of most of the murderers, but they end up having a few major show downs with village figure heads, including the police inspector. After a long fight, Angel emerges victorious.

Twist

This is often when there is a surprise villain at the end of a film. In Hot Fuzz's case, all the police are sitting around doing paperwork, when the last village leader walks in with a blunderbuss. He shoots Danny, but is then kicked into a sea-mine, which was being stored in the station. The bomb explodes, destroying the station.

Resolution

This is the end of a story, where usually all plot lines are addressed and concluded. In Hot Fuzz, this is when Angel is now in charge of the Sandford police service and the conspiracy is behind him; he & Danny go out on patrol.



Hot Fuzz is an example of a partial ending. All plot lines are resolved, but its still open for the characters to continue.
The other types of ending are: Open endings, when the ending of a story is left ambiguous; and closed endings, when the ending is definitive and no more stories can take place.

It is also an example of an arc plot. An arc plot is a story that tells a coherent and consistent story.
The other types of plot are: Anti-plots, plots that do things at seemingly random; and Mini plots, which are smaller stories told within one much larger story.