There are classic movie scripts, and then there are screenwriting samples that serve as learning tools, helping writers understand storytelling techniques or analyze how the written word was brought to life on screen. While you can learn a lot from iconic screenplays like Chinatown or The Godfather, it’s important to focus on scripts that align with the genre you want to write in.
Ready to learn from the best? Check out these 10 screenplay examples that every writer should study.
1. Ocean’s 11 (2001) written by Ted Griffin
A remake of the 1960s film starring the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., etc.), this updated version seems to be a dream for filmmakers: everyone having a good time making a good movie. The film is about Daniel Ocean (George Clooney) who wants to take down 3 casinos run by a less-than-friendly mogul who happens to be married to his ex-wife. It’s a creative big-budget movie with all the fun of Las Vegas with the dream of pulling off a heist aimed at casinos.
This is one of the best movie screenplays to learn from if you’re the type of writer who wants to make heist films or ensemble casts. Not only does Griffin need to introduce 11 unique characters fairly quickly, but also present additional characters surrounding the casino mogul who they’re targeting in the heist. It also shows how you can make “bad” characters (i.e. conmen/thieves) extremely likeable.
2. Barbie (2023) written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
They usually say to avoid using “We see” in a screenplay as it’s generally unnecessary. The exception? Barbie. In fact, the Barbie script breaks a lot of rules, and was rewarded with being the biggest movie of 2023. Gerwig was tasked with something impossible: make a live-action movie based on a toy that has no story. What she delivered was nothing short of amazing.
The main ideas of Barbie include a ‘fish out of water’ comedy and coming of age story about a perfect woman forced to reckon with her imperfections, meanwhile there is a political conspiracy afoot and power grab from a jealous man. Read one of the best movie screenplays of the 21st century.
3. John Wick (2014) written by Derek Kolstad
Other than Taken, you’d be hard-pressed to find another revenge-type action thriller that hit theaters with such an impact like John Wick did. Yet, these types of movies are nothing new – stories of revenge are found in Greek myths and classic novels to a string of films in the 1970s.
Screenwriters can learn world-building, action set pieces and how to say a lot with little dialogue. What better idea of who John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is then when the cops show up to his house and one asks nonchalantly, “You workin’ again?” It’s through this line that we learn the depth of Wick’s reputation.
4. Top Gun: Maverick (2023) Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie
Remakes, reboots and long-awaited sequels get a bad rap. Audiences are hopeful, but the best-case scenario is that it was good but forgettable. Top Gun: Maverick seems to be the massive exception. The Tom Cruise action/adventure sequel saved the movie theater a year before Barbenheimer completely brought it back to life.
Top Gun: Maverick has the feel of an intense, old-school action film from which the original Top Gun was created. It’s a must-read for any screenwriter whose goal is to write the next summer blockbuster.
5. No Country for Old Men (2007) written by Joel and Ethan Coen
The Coen Brothers are often known for two kinds of movies: zany comedies (Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski) or dramatic thrillers (Fargo, True Grit). Both types of movies have compelling, unique characters that are just a little abnormal but still believable and relatable.
No Country for Old Men is the type of story that grabs you in with the first scene and doesn’t let go. For those who want a slower thriller similar to the more modern Taylor Sheridan, this is one of the best screenplays to read. It will teach you how to say a lot without using too many words and build suspense slowly and methodically.
6. Knives Out (2019) written by Rian Johnson
Johnson had grown up watching Agatha Christie movies and other ‘who dun it’ stories that boasted an ensemble cast that keeps audiences guessing with red herrings and plot twists. Coming off a little film called Star Wars VIII – The Last Jedi, Johnson sought to create a whodunit mystery that he always enjoyed.
Knives Out, at its foundation, is just like any other murder mystery, which is the point. A group of people become suspects in a mysterious murder and a sly, smart detective figures it out. It’s a great sample screenplay for anyone wanting to dive into the art of creating a murder mystery and learn how to introduce several characters who could potentially be murderers.
7. Final Destination (2000) James Wong and Jeffrey Reddick
Final Destination isn’t just a horror movie; it’s a franchise that has lived on for over 25 years and was built on the idea that there is no cheating death. It created suspense-filled death scenes where there wasn’t anyone necessarily running from a serial killer or monster, but rather making the audience guess how they will die. The death scenes take seemingly mundane items and occurrences, and turns them into potential weapons.
If you want to learn how to build suspense and write a modern, unique horror story, Final Destination is one of the best screenplays to read.
8. Dune: Part One (2021) Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
Dune is a hard movie to put together. They tried it once in 1984 but it was a box office disappointment. To create one in the 2020s would be an ambitious undertaking that required a visionary like Villeneuve. The film had to appeal beyond fans of the book and that took star power, special effects and a story that resonated with a modern audience that might choose streaming over the theater experience.
What Dune did was build a vast world that must be seen on the big screen with complex family and political dynamics that feels both big and small. This script is a must read for anyone delving into science fiction who wants to create worlds and tell a story that will remain relevant for decades to come.
9. Anyone But You (2023) written by Ilana Wolpert and Will Gluck
In a time when romantic comedies are rarely given chances at the box office, along comes Anyone But You, released around the holidays and pulling in over $200 million internationally. Romantic comedies have gotten a bad name lately likely due to their formulaic storytelling made popular on cable channels, especially around Christmas. What makes Anyone But You different though is that it’s not a saccharine sweet, G rated rom-com but it’s R-rated with the ability, budget and star-power to take it to the next level. It had been so long since a movie like that came out that audiences craved it.
Maybe it all comes down to what Gluck told Letterboxd upon its success, “Extremely hot people and an extremely hot location with extremely low expectations equals a hit.”
10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) written by Steve Kloves
Adapting a beloved novel with the following that Harry Potter had was impossible. There was no way it was going to meet audience expectations – but it did. The reason movies never hold up to a book is that each reader sees their own version of the movie and the characters in their head. On top of that, the screenwriter must remove or alter several aspects of the book in order for it to become a feature film.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone could have been a one-and-done about a boy wizard who goes to school to learn magic; countless novels and potential franchise starters never made it past the first film. Kloves, along with Columbus’s direction, was able to take the best parts of the book and adapt it into a movie that spawned several sequels and new books, theme parks and spin-off.
Regardless of the genre you want to write, you’re sure to find several movie screenplay examples that you can read and learn from. There are also other renot sure where to start, take a look at this blog that includes 5 basic steps to being a beginner screenwriter
