21 Logline Examples

Logline Key:

When the MAIN CHARACTER suffers INCITING INCIDENT, they must ACHIEVE GOAL before STAKES.

When building your logline, I highly recommend using the words “when”, “suffers”, “must”, and “before” as much as you can. 

 

That’s not how all of these logline examples are written, but it will be most helpful for you to at least start with those words to get a sense of the Key Element you are describing.

 

Enjoy this list!

1 BACK TO THE FUTURE

 

IMDb Logline

Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.

 

Notice the IMDb logline only discusses the main character and the inciting incident. It doesn’t give any clear goal or stakes for the story. This makes it hard to see the full narrative and makes this iconic film sound bland.

My Version

When a teenager travels back in time 30 years and causes a rift in his parents’ relationship, he must find a way to reunite his parents and return to his own time before he and his future cease to exist.

 

There’s two things happening in the inciting incident and in the goal. 

 

1) Going back in time and 

2) dealing with his parents’ relationship

 

I think this does work because we need to know this is a time travel story and we need to understand what his goal actually is while he is back in time. Simply traveling back in time and trying to get back isn’t interesting enough. We need both pieces.

 

2 DJANGO UNCHAINED

 

IMDb Logline

With the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.

 

This logline works well. I made only a few adjustments to tie in the different elements more tightly together.

 

My Version

After being rescued by a German bounty hunter in the pre-Civil War South, the freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a sadistic plantation owner.

 

In this logline, the inciting incident seems to help the main character. This is okay because the inciting incident still creates the goal. 

 

Without his freedom, Django is unable to pursue his goal of freeing his wife. So the inciting incident does create a new problem that needs to be solved. Now that Django has his freedom, a new problem has risen: His wife is still a slave and she must be freed.

 

3 KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

 

IMDb Logline

A spy organisation recruits a promising street kid into the agency's training program, while a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

 

This logline can be divided into the four key elements, but the sentence itself doesn’t have a strong narrative drive. This is where words like “when” and “must” really come into play to create that momentum in the sentence.

 

Also “spy organisation” is the noun here. This sets up the sentence all wrong because now the main character is inactive in the sentence. By making the main character of the story the noun in the sentence, the logline becomes stronger.

My Version

When an unruly teenager is offered a place in a secret intelligence agency, he must undergo grueling training to become a secret agent, before an unhinged billionaire executes his plan to cull the human race.

 

Much of the Kingman plot revolves around the main character’s training regiment, and not directly fighting against the unhinged billionaire (main antagonist). This is why I placed the goal specifically on his training and not taking down the billionaire.

 

4 NORTH BY NORTHWEST

 

IMDb Logline

A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.

 

This version falls into chaos after the inciting incident. The second half is vague and feels totally disconnected from the first part of the story. Yes, the romantic narrative is important for the film. But remember, a logline should be a story in one sentence that is able to stand on its own. This logline does not.

 

My Version

When a New York City advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, he must find the real agent before the authorities and the spy ring catch up to him.

 

North by Northwest is a complex plot with multiple twists and turns. So the tendency is to be either too vague and create a boring logline or give too much away and ruin the suspense of the story.

 

I believe I have captured the essence of the thrilling plot and created interest without spoiling any of the plot elements. If you’re writing a mystery thriller, it is important to still create a clear, coherent logline even if you are hiding certain story truths from the reader.

 

5 ELF

 

IMDb Logline

Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn't know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.

 

A lot of this logline works fairly well. It’s just missing that clear inciting incident to tie it all together and give a clear reason as to why Buddy is making the trip to New York. 

 

Also, we don’t need to know the name of the main character or Buddy’s father. These names don’t provide anything to the logline.

 

My Version

When a Christmas elf discovers he’s actually human, he travels to New York City to reunite with his real father who desperately needs Christmas cheer.

 

Notice how adding that clear inciting incident changes the entire structure of the logline and makes the narrative much easier to follow.

 

6 SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

 

IMDb Logline

A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

 

This logline is a mess. Most of the logline is trying to describe the goal. Without a clear inciting incident and well-defined stakes, the logline breaks down.

My Version

When a maniacal serial killer kidnaps a new woman, a determined FBI cadet must seek help from a manipulative, incarcerated serial killer before the maniac kills his latest catch.

 

This logline is fun because it’s dealing with two different serial killers. I tried calling them something other than “serial killer” to differentiate them, but I think using the word “maniac” in the stakes makes it clear which killer I’m mentioning.

 

7 APOCALYPSE NOW

 

IMDb Logline

A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.

 

This logline is interesting mainly because the film idea is so unique, but it is still missing a clear goal and clear stakes. You could make an argument that the inciting incident is also the goal. You would be correct on a certain level. However, I felt for clarity that they should actually be separated into the two key elements.

My Version

When a disenchanted US soldier in Vietnam is sent to assassinate a renegade colonel, he must find and kill the colonel who has established himself as a god among a local tribe.

 

My favorite part about this version is the stakes. Also, it’s important to mention more than the fact that this colonel simply sees himself as a god. He has established himself as a god among a local tribe. So the stakes are revolving around this tribe. Without making that clear, it doesn’t matter that the colonel sees himself as a god.

 

8 GLADIATOR

 

IMDb Logline

A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.

 

The biggest issue with this logline is that the inciting incident comes in at the very end. Because the inciting incident happens at the end, the stakes also get booted out.

 

This is why following the simple formula actually works. Useful formulas like the one I’ve given here help keep your writing on track. They don’t “stifle your creativity.” Formulas help your idea come forward clearly.

 

Also, the logline doesn’t mention anything about the main character being a gladiator. I felt that this was worth mentioning and added it to my version.

My Version

When a corrupt emperor murders his family and sends him into slavery as a gladiator, a former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance before he is killed in the ring.

 

“Exact vengeance” could seem vague as a goal. But it’s very clear what exact vengeance means here. It means kill the corrupt emperor. If it wasn’t so clearly tied to the inciting incident, then it might be a problem. But since the elements are correctly tied together, the logline is clear.

 

9 THE LION KING

 

IMDb Logline

Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.

 

This one is a total mess. We don’t need to know Simba’s name. The inciting incident is vague and incorrect. There is no goal and no clear stakes. This one requires a complete rework.

 

My Version

After he is wrongly exiled for his father’s death, a lion prince must return to reclaim the throne before his evil uncle destroys the kingdom.

 

The Lion King is a very clear Hero’s Journey type of plot. Because of that it’s pretty simple to fit it nicely into the logline format. And this is good! 

 

I recommend writing clear, focused stories like this. Remember, if you’re having difficulty figuring out your logline, the real issue may be in the clarity of your story.

 

10 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN

 

IMDb Logline

Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.

 

The biggest issue for me is that the inciting incident is very general. I don’t understand the significance of the Normandy landings for this specific story. 

 

Also, while the stakes are true it’s hard for me to see why it matters that the paratrooper’s brothers have been killed in action. In the film it’s very emotionally clear why they want to send the paratrooper home because all his brothers were killed, but in the logline it may not grab a reader that strongly.

My Version

When a paratrooper’s brothers are all killed in the D-Day landings, a group of battle-weary soldiers are tasked with retrieving the paratrooper before his mother is left with nothing.

 

In my version, my focus was about making it clear why the D-Day landings matter for the story as well as creating clearer stakes for why this particular paratrooper must be retrieved. 

 

Hopefully you can see that being more specific with the logline makes the story much clearer.

 

11 NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

 

IMDb Logline

A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.

 

There is no clear inciting incident in the way this logline is written. The stakes also feel disconnected from the rest of the story.

My Version

When a new boy enters the high school an alienated teenager must help his new friend win the class presidency before the popular girl wins again.

 

This is another comedy where the stakes are fairly weak. But Summer Wheatly is the antagonist for Pedro’s winning the class presidency, so I added her in the stakes. I know there is more going on in regards to Napoleon's family life, however in the logline it doesn't add anything to say "bizarre family life." In the logline I am trying to get a sense of the plot structure. So I am cutting elements that don't serve that goal and don't feel attached to the other parts of the story.

 

12 TITANIC

 

IMDb Logline

A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.

 

No goal and no stakes. But I will give some grace on this logline. Rewriting this one gave me all sorts of trouble because it is hard to decipher the exact goal.

My Version

​​When a young aristocrat falls in love with a poor boy aboard the Titanic, she must follow her heart and attract the boy before her fiancé subjects her to a miserable marriage.

 

The goal gave me the most trouble in this logline. The actual failing of the ship comes much later in the film and surviving the crash isn’t really the goal.

 

This way we get a clear main character, inciting incident, goal, and stakes that all surround the love story at the core of the Titanic. I am not trying to give a reader every single little detail about a story. I am trying to find the core dramatic narrative and express it clearly.

 

13 THE EXORCIST

 

IMDb Logline

When a teenage girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.

 

This one actually works nicely from IMDb. Clear inciting incident. Clear main character. Clear goal. Clear stakes.

 

No notes.

 

Logline Examples from the Youtube Video: How to ACTUALLY Write a Logline

 

14 THE FUGITIVE

 

IMDb Logline

Dr. Richard Kimble, unjustly accused of murdering his wife, must find the real killer while being the target of a nationwide manhunt led by a seasoned U.S. Marshal.

 

I mostly like this version of the logline. My biggest issue is that it feels clunky as a sentence. The noun, then a comma into a phrase describing the inciting incident doesn’t flow well at all. Once we get to the goal the logline is flowing again but the beginning feels rough.

 

My Version

Falsely accused of killing his wife, a doctor desperately searches for the real killer, with a relentless federal agent hot on his trail.

 

15 THE WIZARD OF OZ

 

IMDb Logline

Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.

 

This logline has all four key elements clearly and in the right order. So overall I like it. My only issue is that it includes unnecessary information such as Dorothy’s name, Toto, and the fact that the Wizard can fulfill others’ wishes.

 

But if you like this logline style, I understand why. It’s very clear and describes the story well.

 

My Version

After a twister takes a lonely Kansas farm girl to a magical land, she sets out on a dangerous journey to find a wizard with the power to send her home.

 

16 RESERVOIR DOGS

 

IMDb Logline

When a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.

 

This one is very close to the version I used in the video. It does need some stakes. Also, cut phrases like “begin to” from your sentences. Phrases like “begins to”, “starts to”, or “turns to” are inactive and should be avoided in all writing.

 

My Version

After a simple jewelry heist goes wrong and the authorities close in, the surviving criminals suspect that one of them is a police informant.

 

17 STAR WARS

 

IMDb Logline

Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.

 

This one is a total mess and even worse than the one I rewrote in the loglines video. We have no context for what a Jedi is, what a Wookie is, or who Darth Vader is. All of these proper nouns need to be cut. Also, this logline has multiple main characters and multiple goals without any inciting incident at all.

 

My Version

After his aunt and uncle are murdered by soldiers of the Galactic Empire, an adventurous farmboy joins a mysterious hermit to find the Rebellion before they can unleash their ultimate weapon.

 

18 NEIGHBORS

 

IMDb Logline

After they are forced to live next to a fraternity house, a couple with a newborn baby do whatever they can to take them down.

 

“Do whatever they can to take them down” is extremely vague. What does it mean to take them down? The goal is not PASS/FAIL here. And that’s the biggest issue with it. Your goal needs to be PASS/FAIL so we know whether or not the main characters have succeeded.

 

My Version

When a wild frat moves into the house beside a couple with a newborn, the new parents must find a way to evict the frat before they are subjected to constant partying forever.

 

19 TOY STORY

 

IMDb Logline

A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman action figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's bedroom.

 

Completely missing goal and stakes here. This is a common theme I have found analyzing IMDb loglines. Usually a writer will write the main character and the inciting incident, but they feel that if they reveal the goal or stakes they are somehow spoiling the story.

 

This is not true. A reader needs to understand the broad journey of the story if they are going to open your screenplay.

 

My Version

When a new spaceman action figure supplants him as the favorite toy, an aging cowboy doll must reclaim his title of favorite toy before he is forgotten by his boy.

 

20 THE HANGOVER

 

IMDb Logline

Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding.

 

While this logline does have all four elements clearly, it is two sentences. There is never a need for your logline to be two sentences.

 

My Version

When three groomsmen lose their about-to-be-wed buddy following a drunken bachelor party in Vegas, they must retrace their steps to find him before the wedding begins.

 

21 FIGHT CLUB

 

IMDb Logline

An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.

 

“That evolves into much more” is so lazy and weak that I can’t even categorize it as one of the four elements. I already did a deep dive on this logline in the video itself. But I will remind you once again to avoid such vague phrases in your logline. They bring nothing to the sentence.

 

My Version

When an emasculated office drone has his cushy apartment destroyed, he must create an underground fight club with a charismatic anarchist before his former corporate world puts an end to their revolution.