An excerpt from my script review for Anaconda which will be available 01/13/26:
2.) Plot Stability
This felt very Jaws like, in that there’s a lot of eerie shit going on and we don’t really see a dangerous snake until more than halfway in.
That was kind of good.
With the introduction of Sarone it almost feels like we’re being asked the question, “Who’s the bigger monster? Man or beast?”
A lot of the plot events that take place, making us and our characters uneasy, have to do with picking this mysterious stranger up on a sinking boat in the middle of the jungle.
Most of the characters, even the captain, don’t want to do it.
Using human nature against your cast is good, and that’s what happens here, not wanting to leave a fellow human being stuck in the deadly jungle.
Of course the things he suggests they do, paths he suggests they take, etc. all have consequences, and we wonder if he planned it all or if it’s just unlucky consequence.
It’s not until page 54 that the first deadly snake actually shows up and kills one of the characters, who Sarone is all too content to leave behind and not go look for.
We’ll get more into it in the next section, because I think there are some differences in the script’s version and then Jon Voight’s take.
The other thing worth discussing here are the snakes…yes plural.
I feel this kind of took away from the story, having multiple snakes and the biggest one not showing up until the end.
Imagine if Jaws had two or three deadly great white sharks in it that only got bigger as the story moved on…takes a bit of the power out of the punch, doesn’t it?
Terri and Co. are there to film this remote tribe no one’s ever really filmed before, and the anaconda snake is supposed to be their protector, so one could easily argue that this biggest snake is following them the entire time, getting the occasional sighting until it finally kills Mateo.
It just feels more impactful this way, and having multiple snakes lessens the stakes.
If you’re writing a “creature feature” style script, either stick with one or go with many.
(i.e. Jaws versus Sharknado.)
Lastly, and this really bothered me, was Terri’s love interest, Cale, gets bitten by a venomous wasp (another thing we’re wondering if it was an accident or something Sarone planned).
Him getting bit and really sick was good.
What isn’t was only remembering that problem when it was convenient to the plot. For instance the group is racing back down the river to save his life at a hospital, but then suddenly they decide it’s safer to anchor the boat for the night because…snake attack.
(Yeah moving wouldn’t get you away from it faster…)
Cale’s deathly ill until of course he isn’t when he comes to the rescue of Terri and Danny at the end, and is even walking around a bit on the boat in the final scene.
Shit like that pisses readers and audiences off, so please don’t do it!
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