Read and Download All of Rian Johnson's Screenplays

If you want to become a better screenwriter, you need to read a lot of scripts. I am telling you, the number of writers I meet who don't read is staggering.

That's why, when a director of the caliber of Rian Johnson makes his work available to check out, I think we should all rejoice.

The guy has given us a free resource of all his screenplays on his website, where you can head over to Rian-Johnson.com to read and download the scripts now.

Today, I want to unpack just what makes these scripts special.

Let's dive in.

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Learn Voice

We talk a lot about "voice" in this industry. It’s that nebulous thing every agent wants, and every writer struggles to define.

But if you want a masterclass in how voice, structure, and genre-bending actually collide on the page, you need to start reading Rian Johnson.

Johnson isn’t just a director who writes; he’s a storyteller who builds puzzles.

Whether it’s the Dashiell Hammett-meets-high-school-hallway vibes of Brick or the intricate clockwork of the Knives Out series, his scripts are blueprints for how to subvert audience expectations without losing the emotional core.

I like seeing how he lets clues hit the page. We can see how he plants and pays off stuff for the audience, and also how he distinguishes the look and feel of his stories right on the page.

Why These Scripts Belong in Your Education

There are other lessons you can learn from these PDFs. Johnson’s site is a goldmine for a few specific reasons:

• The World-Building: Go read Brick. Notice how the dialogue creates a reality that shouldn’t work but feels airtight. It’s a lesson in commitment.
• The Mid-Point Pivot: Looper is a clinic on how to take a high-concept sci-fi premise and ground it in a character-driven moral dilemma.
• The "Whodunnit" Revival: Knives Out and Glass Onion are arguably the best structural exercises of the last decade. Study the setups. See how he hides the "tell" in plain sight.
• TV Transition: He’s even got the pilot for Poker Face up there. If you’re trying to understand how to write a "Case of the Week" for the streaming era, that’s your textbook.

Summing It All Up

Which of Johnson's scripts changed how you look at genre? What are the ones that you love, and maybe which are the ones you think could use a little work?

Reflecting on professional work can help you find who you are and help you sort out what you want to put on the page.

Let’s talk about it in the comments