When to Tell a Story Out of Order

Would Casablanca have been as good if it started in Paris? Ben, Logan and Sara ask why you should tell a story out of order, using flashbacks, flash-forwards and a handful of stranger options. Naturally, Christopher Nolan Films feature prominently, but so too do classics from the Godfather Part II to Mozart's Don Giovanni. We consider the pitfalls that make a brilliant use of time in one film an unnecessarily confusing gimmick in another. We explore the difference between obscurity in one sense, and mystery in another. Finally, we consider the usefulness of telling a story out of order in TV shows, Books, Plays, and even Music and Painting! We hope you discover something about storytelling across media.