Narrative theory;

Narrative is a story also known as a sequence of events, plot, or the way the story is organised.
Elements of the narrative
- time; how is it organised.
the earliest possible time etc.
real time: covers one hour etc '24', this period of time covers the film.
thrillers however will sometimes cover the past also 'flashbacks.'

- Closure; how you end it.
ties all the lose ends up , and everything gets resolved.
This satisfys the audience.
However sometimes a film will not have closure so that it can lead onto a sequel e.g. Harry Potter.

- Enigma; problem.
problems in a story cause to make interesting, and gives it drama as without the audience will find it boring.
Problems have to be solved to reach closure.