We need to talk about Lynne: Modular structure as a reflection of the traumatized psyche in We Need to Talk about Kevin

Conventional linear three-act structure has become the dominant form in anglophone screen industries and creates a particular meaning and viewing experience. Modular structure, a feature of the puzzle film, uses radical non-linearity and complex plot articulations to create a very different viewing experience, and while some films use this approach to create a distanced, analytical effect, and still others seem designed to present a challenge to the viewer in the manner of a mind game, some narratives, such as Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk about Kevin , have been able to leverage this breaking down of linear temporality to expressionist effect, representing the workings of a traumatized mind. This article examines the techniques which Ramsay and co-writer Rory Kinnear used to create that expressionistic effect, focusing on the use of three distinct timelines from different points in the protagonist’s life reordered around a traumatic event and the use of sensory fragments of the trauma in transitions and foreshadowing.