What does a screenplay look like? Screenwriting and traditional prose writing share many characteristics and commonalities, but it is best to think of them as entirely different disciplines of storytelling. We will examine what the average screenplay looks like, how different genres prioritize different elements, and we’ll take a look at specific screenplay examples worth reading and studying.
Watch: Anatomy of a Screenplay — Ultimate Guide
Screenplay Example
What does a basic screenplay look like?
With very few exceptions, all screenplays follow the same standard formatting rules. Proper script formatting is extremely important when writing a screenplay for a number of reasons, one of the most important being the timing of the final film. One page of a properly formatting screenplay is equivalent to approximately one minute of screentime. Knowing roughly how long a film will be before it is shot is incredibly important.
A screenplay example page
All screenplays are built out of the same core formatting elements. For a deeper dive into these specific elements and to see how each of them are used, be sure to read our guide to screenplay formatting. If you are at all interested in giving screenwriting a shot yourself, StudioBinder’s screenwriting software can get you started for free.
Sample Script Format
Comedy script examples
No matter where you land in the different types of comedy scripts available to you, one thing must be true: it’s got to be funny. Here are a few of the funniest comedy screenplays.
Click the image below to read and download the entire script.
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Read and download the full 40 Year Old Virgin screenplay
The 40 Year Old Virgin is an example of a dialogue-heavy screenplay. You will find entire pages consisting of nothing but dialogue in this screenplay which is something you are far less likely to find in other genres. If you want to write a script in the vein of The 40 Year Old Virgin, you should take a look at our tips for writing better dialogue first.
Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Wright’s best movies are great examples of well-balanced comedy screenplays. The mix of dialogue and action is as close to perfect as you can get in a screenplay.
(500) Days of Summer
Then, of course, there’s the romcom. (500) Days of Summer utilizes many of the tropes we know and love from romcoms to build something both funny and emotionally stirring. The romcom wave of the 2000s crested with this movie.
Here are a few other great comedy scripts that you can download to inspire you when writing your next laugh-riot:
- 21 Jump Street
- American Pie
- Anchorman
- Annie Hall
- The Apartment
- The Big Lebowski
- The Breakfast Club
- Bridesmaids
- Dr. Strangelove
- Groundhog Day
- Hot Fuzz
- Juno
- The Royal Tenenbaums
- Superbad
- When Harry Met Sally
Movie Script Example
Action script examples
Just as there is a spectrum of comedy scripts, there is also a great deal of variance in the stylings of action movie scripts as well. Action screenplays tend to rely more heavily on action lines than dialogue but this is not always the case.
John Wick
John Wick’s screenplay was originally titled ‘Scorn’
John Wick is one film that places a heavy emphasis on action, and, as you might guess, the screenplay reflects this fact. There is a mixture of dialogue and action in the pages of this screenplay with a heavy slant toward action in the ratio. Entire pages of the script go by without a single line of dialogue at times. Keanu Reeves made the cut for our list of the top action stars, and John Wick made it onto our list of the best action films ever made. Find out what else made the cut.
Django Unchained
Every great Quentin Tarantino movie script displays his absolute mastery of the screenplay format. You can download and read the Django Unchained screenplay to see exactly how he structures and formats his blend of intense action with his trademark dialogue.
Collateral
On the dialogue-heavy end of the action film spectrum, we have screenplays like the one for Collateral. The dialogue-heavy cab scenes are juxtaposed wonderfully against the sharp bursts of action that occur outside the cab. Collateral has more dialogue and less action than the average action-thriller but is a grade-A action film regardless, showing that the action-to-dialogue ratio can be skewed to great effect in the hands of experts. If you are a fan of Collateral, be sure to check out our review and retrospective on the film.
A few more classic action screenplays for you to read:
- Avatar
- Baby Driver
- Batman Begins
- Black Panther
- The Bourne Ultimatum
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
- Die Hard
- Raider of the Lost Ark
- Jurassic Park
- The Matrix
- Mission: Impossible
Best horror movie scripts
Horror script examples
There’s nothing better than a scary horror script. How do you know if a horror script is good? You don’t want to read it at night.
Alien
Alien is a watershed moment in horror movies, marking an entirely new terrain in which to scare audiences. But it doesn’t just deliver on scares. It’s a riveting character study, and its science fiction elements are deeply thought through. That’s why entries in the franchise are still being made today.
The Babadook
The Babadook is one of the best horror movies of the 21st century. Like Alien, there’s more to it than incredibly effective scares. The movie is an examination of a complicated mother-son relationship, and a moving portrait of a woman wrestling with seemingly insurmountable grief. Check out the script– it’s all there on the page.
The Exorcist
Want to read just one horror movie script? This is probably the one. The Exorcist is one of the most popular, and influential, horror movies of all time. In addition to William Friedkin’s expert direction, writer William Peter Blatty’s script is bone chilling.
If you want to read more horror movie scripts, here are a few more great options:
- Carrie
- The Conjuring
- The Fly
- Get Out
- Halloween
- Hereditary
- It Follows
- Misery
- The Mist
- Night of the Living Dead
- Pet Sematary
- A Quiet Place
- Rosemary's Baby
Drama script collection
Drama script examples
A “drama” can look a million different ways, and so can a drama script. The key is to put character first– why do we care about these people, and what makes them tick? The story will flow out of that.
Shawshank Redemption
It’s hard to add anything to the conversation surrounding Shawshank Redemption. There’s a reason it’s been crowned the greatest movie of all time by IMDb users. Try watching the movie without getting choked up. It’s very difficult.
Sunset Boulevard
Anyone who wants to become a screenwriter must (must!) study the work of Billy Wilder. Few have matched his knack for snappy dialogue. With Sunset Boulevard, Wilder and co-writers Charles Brackett and D.M. Marshman Jr. created an instantly iconic film about the fleeting lights of showbiz, and the toll they take.
Taxi Driver
Like with Shawshank, what more can be said of Taxi Driver? It introduced many of us to the inimitable Paul Schrader. It’s so influential it created a genre unto itself. It’s one of Scorsese’s finest. You’ve heard it all before; give it a read.
A few more classic movie drama scripts:
- 12 Years A Slave
- 12 Angry Men
- Call Me By Your Name
- Citizen Kane
- Dog Day Afternoon
- Fight Club
- The Godfather
- Lost in Translation
- Manchester By The Sea
- Moonlight
- Network
- The Parasite
- Scarface
- Titanic
Sci-fi screenplays
Sci-fi script examples
Writing a sci-fi can be daunting. Not only do you need to create compelling characters and story arcs, but you also have to create an entire world. Sci-fi writing is detail oriented, an exercise in building rules for yourself and sticking by them.
2001: A Space Odyssey
A good place to start with sci-fi scripts is the script for arguably the greatest sci-fi of all time. Kubrick’s masterpiece is layered and profound, deserving of multiple viewings (and perhaps readings). His script, written with Arthur C. Clarke, lays the foundation for the top-tier film.
Arrival
Before Denis Villenueve became the king of big-budget sci-fi with Blade Runner 2049 and Dune, he was the master of the contained sci-fi. Arrival, written by Eric Heisserer, is the pinnacle of this period, beguiling and moving.
Ghostbusters
Not all sci-fi has to be deadly serious. Ghostbusters is a testament to sci-fi which is just fun, filled with laughs and gags. It’s also a work that defies genre– we could have just easily called this a comedy, or even thrown it in the horror section.
Here are some other great sci-fi movie scripts:
- Gravity
- Her
- Inception
- Interstellar
- Jurassic Park
- The Martian
- The Predator
- Star Wars: A New Hope
- The Terminator
- War for the Planet of the Apes
Up Next
Read the Best Movie Scripts Online
Screenplays all follow the same formatting guidelines, but each writer leaves their own fingerprints behind on the pages. The author’s voice changes the reading experience of each screenplay through stylistic choices and personal preferences. You can read some of the best movie scripts ever written online to see just how different screenplays can be.
