Todorov’s Narrative Theory

 Hell'o, Akhil here!!!

Todorov's Theory of Narrative posits that most narratives are constructed in a regular five-stage form. Even though the video is an opening shot, and not a full narrative, we can use Todorov's theory to look at the story arc that is being established.

1. Equilibrium
This is a state of peace and normalcy that exists at the beginning of a tale. In the video, the equilibrium is the ordinary life of the students. They are shown in what seems like a regular school environment, hanging out with friends and playing a game. This is a state of peace before the introduction of the main conflict.

2. Disruption
A character or an event disrupts the equilibrium. The intrusion of the "truth or dare" game, and more specifically, the dare, is the disruption of the equilibrium.  The disruptive event that turns the characters' routine into a perilous one is the dare to go into a "haunted room". From here on, the plot shifts from being a teen drama to a horror one.

3. Coping with the Disruption
The characters come to see that there is an issue. The students in the video see the danger of the dare by name. One of the characters says, "You're kidding, right? That room is haunted," which is naming the danger directly. This is a key moment where the characters go from oblivious to aware, and the viewers see the danger of the situation.

4. Attempt to Mend
This is the part of the tale where the characters try to resolve the disruption. The video ends before the resolution phase can fully be acted out. However, the hero's action of moving in the direction of the haunted room and attempting to open the door is the beginning of this phase.

His action represents the first effort to meet the disturbance. This stage would likely continue for the rest of the film when characters try to survive and struggle with the ghost.

5. New Equilibrium
The story would end with a new state of equilibrium, one where the initial issue is resolved and the characters resume life as normal (if they live), or a different kind of stability (e.g., the characters are now possessed or the town is irreparably altered). The video is on a cliffhanger, so this last stage isn't seen. The foreboding jumpscare signals that if a new equilibrium is to be achieved, it will be a dark and unnerving one.