Bending Time – The Narrative Power and Dangerous Pitfalls of Flashbacks

MZed Education

by Mascha DeikovaJuly 17^th, 2026

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Flashbacks. Oh, how many discussions they can spark! Some people hate them, others value them a lot. There are filmmakers who are famous for their use of flashbacks, and others who lose the audience’s respect because of poor execution. All in all, flashbacks are a tool. And like any tool, they can be of great use for the narrative if you know how to include them in a smart way. So let’s take a look at this filmmaker’s oldie but goodie, and analyze how to make flashbacks in your movies feel good!

One of film’s mighty abilities is to manipulate time. We’ve already talked about it in our long read on frame rate (head over here, if you’re interested). Flashbacks are another way to break the chronology and connect two different time spans together.

But first, a disclaimer. Visual storytelling is a powerful filmmaking language, but it is also highly subjective and often comes down to personal taste. So, if you truly hate flashbacks, you do not have to use them. Still, it is useful to understand the different types, how they work, and how they can serve the story. That is the ultimate goal of this article. Ready? Let’s go!

What are flashbacks?

The formal term for flashbacks is the complicated word “analepsis.” Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “the act of showing a past event at a later point than when it happens in the chronology (= the order of events in time) of the story.” Simply put, flashbacks offer a brief glimpse into events that occurred before the main plot. The main purpose of flashbacks is to fill the audience in on important backstory or to provide crucial context cues for better understanding. In the example below, young Harry Potter discovers how his parents actually died, and we – the viewers – get to see the events from the past literally unfold before our eyes:

There are different types of flashbacks, depending on what dramatic goal they follow (we will talk about goals in a second). Sometimes, it’s a jump back to a scene that took place within the main story. Other times, we get to see moments that happened outside of the plot’s timespan.

In addition to flashbacks, filmmaking also uses devices such as flashforwards and even “flash-sideways.” The latter term became associated with the hugely popular 2000s series “Lost.” In the final season, the creators introduced jumps into an alternate reality.

The dramatic purpose of flashbacks

In the “Cinematic Storytelling” textbook, there is the following passage about flashbacks:

Many screenwriting books advise against them, arguing that flashbacks are an obvious catch-up device. It’s true they are a “catch-up device”; in fact, that is precisely their function. Whether they are effective or not, however, depends entirely on their rendering.

This is where I agree. There is no point in damning a tool just because lots of films misuse it. Besides, flashbacks can do much more than just give viewers missing context information.

For instance, they can deepen our understanding of a character and create an emotional connection to them. In the recent psychological horror “Backrooms,” we get a few peeks into Mary’s childhood. She is not even the protagonist. She’s a therapist who wants to help the main character, Clark. However, glimpses into her past reveal that she has plenty of troubles of her own to confront first. Suddenly, her actions and reactions make much more sense and add to the film’s complexity.

A further function of flashbacks (IMHO, a terrific one) is to play with the audience’s narrative expectations. Instead of providing clarity, such flashbacks introduce additional pieces of the puzzle that do not seem to fit at first. This enhances the revelation at the end even more. Denis Villeneuve beautifully applied this technique in “Arrival.” For much of the film, we believe we are watching the characters’ flashbacks, only to discover that we were mistaken. This twist is what makes the film so special to me and so narratively “out of the box.”

Revealing or supporting an important plot twist

An earlier masterpiece by Villeneuve demonstrates yet another powerful use of flashbacks, and I want to linger on it a little longer. In the 2010 mystery drama “Incendies,” we watch big chunks of the story unfold in different timelines. However, one flashback in particular stands out to me. It comes after the crazy revelation moment at the end, which I do not want to spoil, because I urge you to watch this film. (Trust me, it’s a very strong and unexpected plot twist.) After the siblings finally learn the truth, the audience is taken back to the pool scene where everything began. This time, however, we understand what happened to their mother and why the mere sight of the tattoo on the seemingly unknown man’s foot affects her so deeply.

What is the flashback’s role here? It reinforces the major plot twist. Not by explaining it, but by making the significance of a scene that happened earlier much more powerful. A similar application example can be found in the final act of “The Sixth Sense.” (Again, if you haven’t seen the movie, don’t watch the scene below – it will spoil a masterful twist that has since become a classic):

Why do both of these examples work so beautifully, and why, in my view, is the use of flashbacks justified here? Because they connect dots that we, the viewers, already had the chance to connect ourselves. Those dots were carefully placed throughout the story for us to notice. They are not random, nor do they appear out of thin air simply to explain the ending. Unfortunately, that happens rather often, as we will see in later examples.

When flashbacks are done poorly

If flashbacks have so much power, why do so many people despise them? Sadly, there are plenty of bad examples as well. One disappointing use of a flashback is to lazily insert information simply to patch a plot hole. Another – and this is my biggest pet peeve – is to remind the audience of something that happened only 20 minutes earlier. I call this the infamous goldfish effect.

Imagine you are watching a series and a character suddenly realizes something at the same moment we do—yet the creators still insert a flashback to a scene that happened only a short while earlier. This is what made me hate the first season of Squid Game. I wanted to ask the show’s creators, “Do you think I am stupid? Do you think I cannot connect A and B?” At the end of the season, the main character follows the instructions to a desolate high-rise building, only to find the elderly and frail Oh Il-nam (Player 001) alive in a luxury hospital bed. His eyes widen, and we are shown a multi-minute highlight reel of flashbacks from throughout the season:

Lesson number one: do not underestimate your audience. Part of the pleasure lies in piecing things together for ourselves. You do not need to replay scenes again and again just to make sure everyone understands the twist. Honestly, it starts to feel like bad exposition.

Probably the worst example of flashbacks ruining a story for me is the ending of “Saltburn.” The film is full of mystery, unexpected twists, unanswered questions, and constant second-guessing. It felt like a riddle I desperately want to solve. Yet, in the final sequence, it throws away all that suspense and takes the safest possible route: “Let me explain what happened with a quick flashback montage.” Honestly, I was so disappointed. In the MZed course, “Visual Storytelling 2,” Alex Buono reminds us that our films need to be understandable to the audience. We will not be able to sit in the back of the cinema and whisper an explanation of what we actually meant to say with the story. However, that does not mean we should spoon-feed the viewers. They should have the chance to think and connect the dots for themselves. If you need flashbacks to explain your plot, the problem was probably in the writing. Sorry!

Different ways to include flashbacks visually

There are many visual ways to include flashbacks in your movie. For instance, it can be something highly stylized, like the overlapping of footage in “Kill Bill:”

Here, we see a close-up of the protagonist’s eyes while the traumatic memory plays out in her mind. The color palette also signals that we have left the main timeline and entered what she remembers. These memories are so brutal that no dialogue or explanation is needed. We immediately understand her motivation, her rage, and her desire for revenge. We may even begin to justify her actions.

To separate flashbacks from reality, filmmakers have often used a different camera style. For instance, they render trips to the past in black-and-white or use a special aspect ratio. If you decide to take this approach, however, keep in mind that such visual techniques can pull viewers out of the story. When the image suddenly shifts to different, punchy colors, for example, we are reminded that we are watching a film and that none of it is real. That is not necessarily a problem, but you should be aware of the effect.

The flashbacks cliché

Probably the most common way to signal the beginning of a flashback is a dip to white, followed by the “memory” unfolding in slow motion. This is exactly what happens in the scene from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” that we looked at earlier in the article. So many films and series have used this exact transition over the past few decades that it has become a cliché. The medical comedy series “Scrubs” even mocked the white cross-dissolve, using it whenever the main character, J.D., reflected on his past or slipped into one of his quirky daydreams:

Clichés are okay when you need your audience to grasp something quickly, and do not have a fresher idea for the film’s visual language. However, I’d recommend you avoid them if you want your story to feel genuine and impactful.

A more modern approach to flashbacks

What visual approach can you use instead? Literally anything! The sky is the limit. In Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” the flashbacks are literally built into scenes in which the action unfolds in reverse. It is difficult to explain in writing, so here is an example. Watch the scene through to see where the flashback begins and how it works, starting at 01:04:

Yet you don’t even need anything that fancy and complicated! Even a simple hard cut to a flashback can create the effect you are after when it is placed at the right moment. In my beloved “Train Dreams,” one of the final scenes shows us the protagonist, Robert Grainier, taking a joyride in an airplane. As he experiences something new, something much greater begins to unfold. Suddenly, without any transition, we begin flipping through the memories of his life. And this moment is so special, powerful, and emotional that it just cannot leave you untouched. Here’s an amazing scene breakdown from the director and co-writer, Clint Bentley:

Why does this kind of flashback work? As the director explains, the filmmakers selected unused moments and alternate takes from scenes we had already seen throughout the film. The editor then found a subtle way to weave them into the flight sequence, so they do not feel like a random collection of highlights but like something larger: a life in progress, flashing before the eyes of its aging owner and revealing its full beauty to both him and us. The hard cuts connect past and present, driving the climax of the story.

What makes a flashback harmonious and coherent?

To sum up this endless read, the most powerful flashbacks have several important characteristics. First, they serve a real narrative purpose: to raise the stakes, give us a crucial piece of the puzzle, enhance a plot twist, deepen character development, and so on. They do not simply explain or cover up bad plot decisions. Second, flashbacks should feel vital. Ask yourself this question while writing the script: Can we live without these flashbacks? If the answer is yes, better drop them. Third, they feel most authentic when they are based on a character’s memories. Even better if those memories contain carefully placed clues that can be used later in the plot.

The show “Lost,” that we touched on above, is a masterclass in using flashbacks (at least, in its first season). Namely, they serve more than one purpose:

• They show the audience the backgrounds of different characters, helping us understand them and their conditions much better, and revealing their secrets. (Why was beautiful Kate Austin in handcuffs? To whom does the wheelchair belong?)
• They tell entire stories in their own right that are not fully connected to the plot, but are very interesting to watch.
• They connect elements from the past to the current timeline. (Just think of the lottery numbers that helped Hurley to win a fortune, and of their importance later on the island).

And what would you add? Do you have your own favorite flashbacks from films or series? Why are they effective, in your opinion? What about bad examples? Let’s continue discussing this topic in the comments below!

Feature image: film stills from “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” by Quentin Tarantino, 2003; and “Train Dreams” by Clint Bentley, 2025.
Full disclosure: MZed is owned by CineD.

Additional source: “Cinematic Storytelling” by Jennifer Van Sijll, 2005.