Backwards Induction in The Lookout
The Lookout is not just one of the best modern crime flicks you’ve never heard of. It’s also the most compelling dramatic depiction of backwards induction I can remember.
The lead character has trouble sequencing his actions (wake up, shower, eat, get your keys, lock the door, etc.) due to a brain injury. So his roommate tells him to stop thinking of it as “sequencing,” and tell a story instead. Ho-hum. But then his roommate adds that he should start with the way he wants his day’s story to end, and work backwards from there, step by step.
I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to say that in this movie, backwards induction turns out to be a very useful skill indeed!
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