10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Star Trek Into Darkness
3. Make The Audience Question Who The Real Bad Guy Is
One of the best moments in the film comes when Captain Kirk is arguing with Admiral Alexander Marcus. It is precisely at this point when we realize we dont know who the true bad guy is. So far, Khan seems like a dangerous person (and killed Captain Pike in front of Kirk) but he seemed to have very valid reasons for this. Then, Admiral Marcus takes a very nasty turn and opens fires on the Enterprise.
It puts us in an odd place. Who do we root for and against? Can Khan be trusted? Is Admiral Marcus telling the truth about Khan or is he truly the bad guy here? Once again, we have a mystery in place, one that is at the very center of the movie. When you throw this sort of ambiguity into your script, readers will keep turning the pages in order to find out who they should really be hating. Its another great tool in your toolbox to keep the train rolling.