Narrative turning point that reverses plot direction and triggers new conflicts. Four types: situational, character-based, emotional, and informational.
Technical Details
Reversals are divided into four main types: Situational Reversal (change in external circumstances), Character Reversal (shift in character motivation), Emotional Reversal (change in mood), and Information Reversal (disclosure of new facts). The classic three-act structure places the first reversal after 20-30 minutes, and the second after 60-90 minutes of running time. Modern thrillers use micro-reversals at 8-12 minute intervals to maintain suspense.
History & Development
Aristotle first described peripeteia as a dramatic principle in his Poetics in 335 BC. In 1979, Syd Field codified Plot Points as modern reversals in Screenplay and established the 30-60-30 page structure. Robert McKee expanded the concept in 1997 with Progressive Complications, while Blake Snyder defined 15 specific turning points in 2005 with the Beat Sheet.
Practical Application in Film
In Jaws (1975), the discovery of the first victim transforms the tranquil summer atmosphere into panic. Psycho (1960) executes a radical protagonist change reversal after 47 minutes with the death of Marion Crane. The Sixth Sense (1999) utilizes a final Information Reversal that reinterprets the entire film retrospectively. Thrillers like Gone Girl (2014) employ False Reversals, using apparent twists as misdirection.
Comparison & Alternatives
Reversal differs from a twist in its structural function – while a twist surprises, a reversal advances the plot. A cliffhanger pauses suspense, whereas a reversal resolves it in a new direction. Foreshadowing prepares for reversals, while red herrings conceal them. In serial formats, reveals often replace classic reversals, as the episodic structure requires continuous turning points.