Fun, Twisty, Turny Structure: The Perspective Loop

Hi Reader,

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by my Current Obsession – The Residence on Netflix. No spoilers here!

This delightful whodunit teaches a masterclass in an often-overlooked story structure: The Perspective Loop.

If you’ve seen The Residence, you know it’s not your average murder mystery. The show combines campy fun with a twisty, character-driven narrative that loops back on itself again and again like a well-plotted game of Clue meets Knives Out with quick cuts, flashbacks, and a snazzy score.

And if you’re a screenwriter or novelist who wants to level up your storytelling toolkit, the Perspective Loop might just become your new best friend.

So… What Is the Perspective Loop?

The Perspective Loop is a narrative structure where the same central event—often a crime, catastrophe, or pivotal turning point—is revisited multiple times through different characters’ perspectives. Each revisit reveals new information, contradicts previous assumptions, and deepens the mystery and emotional resonance.

Think the classic film Rashomon or the Showtime series The Affair.

This structure hinges on reframing rather than moving linearly. Each loop around the core event not only advances the plot, but deepens our understanding of the characters involved. Every time the loop circles back, it’s like turning a kaleidoscope: same beads, different pattern.

The Perspective Loop structure shines brightest in genres like mysteries, thrillers, and heists, where unreliable narration, secret agendas, and time-sensitive events are baked into the storytelling cake. Why? Because these genres thrive on suspense, misdirection, and piecemeal reveals. When the audience is shown the same event from different angles—each dripping with new clues or contradictions—it creates a puzzle-solving thrill that keeps them turning pages or bingeing episodes deep into the night.

In heist stories, for example, one character’s version of “the plan” might show everything going smoothly… until we loop back and discover another crew member sabotaged it on purpose. In thrillers, a witness might claim one thing, but a second perspective shows what really happened—and suddenly, your villain isn’t who you thought it was. The Perspective Loop is essentially a narrative sleight of hand: you show your audience one truth, then yank the curtain to reveal another.

How The Residence Uses the Loop to Brilliant Effect

At the heart of The Residence is a murder in the private part of the White House. We meet an ensemble of characters, all working behind the scenes at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and all with something to hide.

Here’s where it gets juicy: Each episode centers on a different person’s version of events surrounding the murder. What they saw. What they think they saw. What they’re willing to admit. What they don’t realize they’ve revealed.

This is textbook Perspective Loop.

In one episode, a butler appears to be hiding something ominous.
In another, a housekeeper’s version of the same scene flips your assumptions completely.
By the time we hear from the chef, the florist, a former First Lady, and Kylie Minogue, your brain is doing somersaults.

With each pass, we return to the same central timeline—just seen through a fresh emotional lens. This structure forces the audience to stay alert, re-evaluate what they think they know, and become active participants in solving the mystery.

And you know what that means?

Engaged readers. Hooked viewers. Addicted fans.

Why You Should Try the Perspective Loop

Whether you’re writing a novel, a pilot, or a rom-com with a surprising corpse, the Perspective Loop can:

✅ Add immediate tension and narrative momentum

✅ Let you reveal backstory organically

✅ Explore how different characters interpret the same truth

✅ Keep the audience guessing—and gasping

✅ Deliver multiple “aha!” moments without needing plot twists out of left field

It’s especially potent in ensemble stories, mysteries, or dramas centered around a shared incident.

Quick Tip for Your Story

Pick one key scene—a breakup, a betrayal, a botched heist—and write it from three characters’ POVs. Not just what they saw, but what they felt. What did they misunderstand? What did they notice that others didn’t? What lie did they tell themselves?

Now layer those into your structure and watch your story crackle with intrigue.

In Conclusion: Loop It, Baby!

The Residence may be about presidential secrets and messy murders, but underneath the soapy drama is a sharp example of the Perspective Loop done right. And if you’re itching to experiment with structure that isn’t a strict three-act march, this might be your golden ticket.

So loop it. Twist it. Flip it. Rewrite that pivotal scene from someone else's point of view and see what emerges.

🎥 Movies with Perspective Loops

Rashomon (1950) – The OG. Akira Kurosawa’s classic where a crime is recounted by four witnesses, each with wildly different truths. The gold standard.

Gone Girl (2014) – Starts one way, then flips the narrative halfway through to reveal a completely different perspective on the same events. Deliciously twisty.

The Usual Suspects (1995) – A masterclass in unreliable narration, where the story is retold by a single character—but with layers of perspective manipulation built in.

Vantage Point (2008) – A political thriller that replays an assassination attempt multiple times through different characters’ POVs.

Hero (2002) – Visually stunning martial arts epic that tells the same story three different ways, each with a different emotional truth.

📺 TV Shows with Perspective Loops

The Affair (2014–2019) – Each episode gives two characters’ perspectives on the same events—complete with emotional, factual, and visual contradictions. Brilliant character work.

The Residence (2024) – Our muse! A whodunit that loops around a central murder, with each episode told from a different staff member’s point of view.

Kaleidoscope (2023) – A Netflix experiment where episodes can be watched in any order, and each character-centric episode adds a new perspective to a heist years in the making.