2. Narrative Theory
The narrative theorist we have chosen to follow is Tvzetan
Todorov. His theory is:
• Equilibrium
• Disequilibrium
• Recognition of disruption
• Attempt to repair disruption
• Change to a new equilibrium
3. Equilibrium
The film starts with teenagers walking into a park with
alcohol, this is a stereotype for teenagers being rebellious.
This is their usual weekend routine therefore is normal.
There are 5 teenagers in the park, all very close friends and
well acquainted with each other, they are seen mucking
around just having a laugh. The boys are acting
stereotypically masculine by drinking vodka in comparison to
the girls wine and are acting tough, everyone is none the
wiser to the night ahead of them of horror. The boys then ask
the girls if they want to hear a scary story. The film then
moves into a flash forward.
4. Disequilibrium
The disequilibrium starts in the film opening as a flash
forward occurs, a scary doll appears in the background and
the main character is on her own on the phone to help whilst
the doll is in by the swings singing a nursery rhyme, the girl
cannot see the doll and this is shown through the point of
view of the character, the girl continues on the phone as the
doll continues her nursery rhyme and then the line goes
dead, you then see the doll standing behind the girl and then
she whispers “ready or not here I come” in her ear and then
the flash forward ends. It is evident the girls other friends are
not there and have been killed, which makes the audience
want to watch the film to find out what has happened to
them.
6. Recognition of Disruption
The first friend disappears (a girl)with a boy and the girls
worry, however the boys being masculine do not worry and
make jokes about it about how they have most likely
disappeared to have sex. One of the boys jokes about it
being due to the scary story previously told, which the girls
don’t like. The boy returns who left previously without the girl
and worry begins to spark. The girl dies first as in horror films
girls are more vulnerable. The swing begins to sway and the
nursery rhyme can be heard around them, this is a signal
that the doll is ready to get the next victim. The scary story
told previously was true about the doll and is shown
throughout the film in various flashbacks to the beginning.
The teenagers realize the story is real and therefore form a
recognition of the disruption.
7. Attempt to Repair Disruption
Knowing that the story is true, the remaining friends go on a
search for their missing friends and consequently get killed
off one by one. Bodies are never left by the doll and therefore
it is difficult to found them. The disruption is only repaired
when the survivor kills the doll, the doll can only be seen right
before it kills. The survivor kills the doll and then a new
equilibrium is formed.
8. Change to a new Equilibrium
The survivor is panting at the end and crying, the dolls head
could have more cracks in it before and as the girl wipes her
face from sweat she walks away. As the girl walks out the
park she walks away to her home slowly turning into a run.
There is a shot of the dolls face, this shot is prolonged for
longer than usual and in the background you can see the
girls feet running away in the background. The camera slowly
zooms in on the dolls closed eyes and then suddenly, they
snap open with quiet echoed laughter.
