15 Brilliant Flashback Examples for Screenwriters and Filmmakers
Created by Igor_Brynner.
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It’s almost hard to think of a modern film that doesn’t have a flashback example somewhere within it. Of course, that’s not strictly true. But it is true that flashbacks are a key part of a screenwriting arsenal.
Modern film and TV is full of flashback examples. Screenwriters and filmmakers will use them for a variety of reasons. Often it will be expositional, often it will be to add dynamism.
As audiences, we can usually tell when a flashback feels contrived or when it feels genuine and effective.
For a screenwriter, using flashbacks can be a very tempting way of making a screenplay more dynamic. But it’s important to hone in on why you are using a flashback.
Don’t use a flashback to just remind the audience of something they have already seen.
Or if you do this proceed with caution.
Know that you could frustrate your audience by patronising them, assuming they won’t be able to remember information and that you need to remind them of it.
Use a flashback to add to the story rather than to run along side it.
In this article, we’re not going to look necessarily at movies that are entirely built around flashbacks or told from the perspective of a flashback (like Memento, Forest Gump or Titanic for example). Instead, we will look at flashback examples that feature briefly or intermittently throughout a screenplay.
They might just feature once, or they might crop up a couple of times. Furthermore, what flashback examples are innovative in how they use flashback?
Overall, we’ll demonstrate how best to use flashbacks to add to and accentuate your story.
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1 new
Ratatouille
2007, in 14 top lists Check -
2 new
The Godfather Part II
1974, in 32 top lists Check -
3 new
Manchester by the Sea
2016, in 7 top lists Check -
4 new
Good Time
2017, in 2 top lists -
5 new
Fight Club
1999, in 19 top lists Check -
6 new
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004, in 28 top lists Check -
7 new
Oldeuboi
2003 — a.k.a. Oldboy, in 34 top lists Check -
8 new
The Crown
2016, in 0 top lists Check -
9 new
La casa de papel
2017 — a.k.a. Money Heist, in 0 top lists -
10 new
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
2003, in 18 top lists Check -
11 new
Marriage Story
2019, in 5 top lists -
12 new
Gilmore Girls: Dear Emily and Richard
2003, in 0 top lists Check -
13 new
Toy Story 2
1999, in 12 top lists Check -
14 new
Wild
2014, in 0 top lists Check -
15 new
The Social Network
2010, in 13 top lists Check
Last updated on Nov 18, 2023; source