Showing 14 of 14 scenes
Wild at Heart
by David Lynch
A manipulative mother pressures a private investigator and former lover to track down her daughter and eliminate her boyfriend. The scene reveals a dark history involving a past murder and the mother's willingness to use criminal connections to get what she wants.
Richard III
by William Shakespeare
Richard uses manipulative rhetoric and high-stakes vulnerability to woo Lady Anne over the corpse of her father-in-law. He offers her his sword and invites her to kill him, claiming his murderous actions were driven entirely by his desperate love for her beauty.
Richard gloats to the audience after successfully wooing Lady Anne over the literal corpse of her father-in-law, whom he murdered. He marvels at his own manipulative power and mockingly decides to invest in his appearance now that he has somehow 'crept in favour' with his victim.
A Very English Scandal
by Russell T Davies
Jeremy Thorpe enters Norman's room late at night, asserting his dominance through a mixture of mock-affection and intimidation. Norman is vulnerable and overwhelmed by the attention, leading to a manipulative sexual encounter where Jeremy maintains absolute control.
The Life & Adventures of Nick Nickleby
by Joy Wilkinson
Nick is caught snooping through patient files by the manipulative Squeers while investigating the mistreatment of Mrs. Smike. Squeers attempts to intimidate and then recruit Nick by suggesting he is the heir to his uncle's business interests, dangling a potential inheritance to ensure his silence and cooperation.
Outnumbered
by Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
A family gathers in the kitchen as Dad recounts the terror of giving Jake a driving lesson, while Ben expresses a sudden, manipulative interest in psychology. The scene highlights the chaotic domestic friction between parents and their teenage children over life skills and academic frustrations.
A Very British Scandal: Duchess of Argyll
by Sarah Phelps
Margaret visits her mother, Helen, who uses her physical frailty and sharp tongue to undermine Margaret's confidence and judge her affair with the Duke of Argyll. The scene highlights a toxic mother-daughter dynamic where affection is withheld and replaced by critiques of appearance and moral standing. Margaret attempts to assert her happiness but is ultimately silenced by her mother's manipulative vulnerability.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
by J.K. Rowling
Queenie finds herself in Grindelwald's hideout, feeling vulnerable and out of place. Grindelwald uses his manipulative charm to lower her defenses, appealing to her desire for a world where she can love freely without persecution.
Fatal Attraction
by James Dearden
Alex visits Dan at his office to apologize for her recent erratic behavior and attempt to normalize their relationship. She offers him opera tickets as a peace offering, testing his boundaries while Dan tries to maintain a professional distance despite her manipulative charm.
Parks and Recreation
by Greg Daniels, Michael Schur
Leslie Knope attempts to interrogate her teenage nemesis, Greg Pikitis, regarding the vandalism of her office. The scene escalates as Greg's calm, manipulative logic quickly unravels Leslie's composure, leading her to make increasingly absurd threats.
Once Upon a Mattress
by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, Dean Fuller
A overbearing, manipulative, self-absorbed Queen Aggravain's monologue from "Once Upon a Mattress" by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, & Dean Fuller. Genre: musical.
A overbearing, demanding, self-centered, manipulative Queen Aggravain's monologue from "Once Upon a Mattress" by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, & Dean Fuller. Genre: comedy.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
by Martin McDonagh
Maureen, a middle-aged woman living in rural Ireland, delivers a fervent and repetitive declaration of her Irish identity and loyalty. The speech masks her deep-seated frustration and the claustrophobia of her isolated life caring for her manipulative mother.
Broken Fences
by Steven Simoncic
Spencer, a white advertising executive, attempts to justify marketing unhealthy processed cheese to low-income African American families. He uses a manipulative 'Disney World' metaphor to argue that the product provides a sense of safety and magic in a harsh environment.
