018 - Aster, Peele, Eisenberg, Baker & More: Screenwriters
The Screenplay Lab
In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, Jeff Barker explores the creative journeys of some of today’s most exciting screenwriters and filmmakers, from Oscar winners to breakout indie voices. We dive deep into the writing styles, influences, and careers of: 🧠 Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain) 🔥 Coralie Fargeat (Revenge, The Substance) 🌊 Trey Edward Shults (Waves, It Comes at Night) 👁 Jordan Peele (Us, Get Out) 🌑 Robert & Max Eggers (The Lighthouse, Nosferatu) 💀 Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar, Eddington) 💀 Curry Barker (Milk & Serial, Obsession) 🤖...
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017 - Companion (Drew Hancock)
The Screenplay Lab
In this episode of Screenplay Lab, we dive into the genre-bending screenplay of Companion (2025), a sci-fi horror comedy written and directed by debut filmmaker Drew Hancock. Starring Sophia Thatcher (Yellowjackets) and Jack Quaid (The Boys), Companion is a bold, twisty narrative that shifts from dark comedy to sci-fi thriller to full-on horror, all while tackling themes like toxic masculinity, autonomy, and identity. We break down what makes this screenplay stand out—from crisp formatting and dry wit to inventive exposition and layered symbolism. If you're a screenwriter, filmmaker, or fan...
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016 - Hereditary (Ari Aster)
The Screenplay Lab
Ari Aster’s Hereditary – Prestige Horror Screenwriting In this episode, Jeff Barker breaks down the Hereditary screenplay by Ari Aster, the 2018 A24 film that redefined modern horror. Whether you’re a screenwriter, filmmaker, or horror fan, this deep dive explores how Aster builds emotional horror through grief, trauma, and supernatural dread. We’ll analyze formatting, structure, pacing, dialogue, and how this script balances psychological tension with occult terror. Plus: why Toni Collette’s performance deserved an Oscar, and how Hereditary changed horror screenwriting forever....
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015 - Challengers (Justin Kuritzkes)
The Screenplay Lab
Welcome to The Screenplay Lab, the podcast that treats screenplays like the art they are. I’m Jeff Barker, a screenwriter, and in this episode, we’re dissecting the bold, layered, and seductive script behind Challengers (2024) — written by Justin Kuritzkes and directed by Luca Guadagnino. Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist, Challengers is far more than a steamy love triangle on a tennis court. It’s nonlinear storytelling at its sharpest, with subtext-rich dialogue, shifting POVs, and a screenplay that’s as cinematic on the page as it is on screen. 🎾 What’s...
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014 - La La Land (Damien Chazelle)
The Screenplay Lab
In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host and screenwriter Jeff Barker takes a closer look at the screenplay behind La La Land by Damien Chazelle. Known for its music and emotional impact, this film offers just as much inspiration on the page as it does on the screen. Jeff examines how the screenplay employs musical storytelling without lyrics, subverts traditional romantic structures, and utilizes formatting and choreography to convey character and emotion. He also shares the backstory behind the script’s development, early rejections, and how Whiplash helped bring La La Land back to...
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013 - The Lighthouse (Max & Robert Eggers)
The Screenplay Lab
In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host and screenwriter Jeff Barker takes a deep dive into the brilliantly unhinged screenplay for The Lighthouse (2019), written by Robert and Max Eggers. This A24 psychological horror film, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, is a claustrophobic two-hander soaked in myth, madness, and maritime misery. We explore how the Eggers brothers crafted a literary and cinematic fever dream, from unique formatting and surreal dialogue to powerful monologues, historical dialect, and deep symbolism. This script is weird in all the right ways, and...
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012 - Babygirl (Halina Reijn)
The Screenplay Lab
In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, Jeff Barker deconstructs the provocative and award-winning screenplay for Babygirl (2024), written and directed by Halina Reijn and starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson. This psychological erotic thriller, produced by A24, subverts the genre by placing a powerful woman at the center of a dark, complex, and unapologetic power dynamic. We explore the screenplay as a literary document, not just a blueprint for the film. From formatting and scene structure to dialogue, symbolism, and raw emotional dynamics, this in-depth exploration offers genuine...
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011 - Waves (Trey Edward Shults)
The Screenplay Lab
In this deep-dive podcast episode, screenwriter Jeff Barker explores Trey Edward Shults' emotionally captivating screenplay, Waves (2019), an A24 cult classic praised especially by Gen Z audiences for its unique storytelling and profound emotional resonance. Discover how Shults innovatively uses screenplay conventions alongside experimental techniques like dual dialogue columns, creative text-message formatting, bold musical integration featuring artists like Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Radiohead, and Tyler the Creator; and striking cinematography choices, including shifting aspect...
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010 - US (Jordan Peele) + Curry Barker
The Screenplay Lab
In this special audio episode, host and screenwriter dives deep into the genius behind 's groundbreaking screenplay, "Us" (2019). Explore how Peele intricately weaves supernatural horror, psychological depth, and relentless suspense into a captivating narrative that examines powerful societal themes like class division, identity, and confronting our inner darkness. Plus, enjoy an insightful conversation with acclaimed actor, comedian, and director , discussing the profound influence of Jordan Peele and "Key & Peele" on his comedic style () and filmmaking career (). Jeff meticulously...
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009 - The Brutalist (Corbet & Fastvold)
The Screenplay Lab
Join us for a riveting exploration of THE BRUTALIST, the film that has stormed the Oscars with ten nominations, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Director. In this episode, we dissect the genius of Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold’s screenplay, an intense period drama that goes beyond mere architectural discourse to challenge the very fabric of the American Dream. What we’ll cover: ✅ Screenwriting: Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold’s visionary writing that's as bold and uncompromising as the brutalist structures that frame this narrative. ...
info_outlineThis Week on The Screenplay Lab: We're diving deep into Robert Eggers' Nosferatu screenplay, a masterful reimagining of the gothic classic. Fresh off the presses, this screenplay showcases Eggers’ unique style, oscillating between lush, sprawling sentences and punchy bursts of intensity.
What We’ll Cover:
- Robert Eggers: A modern trailblazer of psychological horror (The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman).
- The Story: A haunting tale rooted in 1830s Baltic German, dripping with eerie atmosphere, twisted obsession, and forbidden desire.
- Craftsmanship: Explore Eggers' meticulous formatting, sensory-rich descriptions, and innovative use of capitalization, animals, and dialogue to evoke fear and unease.
- Themes: Female agency, the corrupting influence of greed, and the battle between light and darkness.
- And Much More: Tone, character, story arcs, internal and external conflict, stakes, and structure.
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