The Puzzle of Engagement: An Interview Study on the Subjective Experience of Engagement with Mainstream Narrational Complexity

Structurally complex narratives, characterized by nonlinear chronology, shifting perspectives, or multi-layered story worlds, have become increasingly prominent in mainstream film and television. While scholars have theorized the aesthetic and cognitive implications of these narratives, we know far less about how viewers actually experience them. This paper presents findings from a qualitative interview study exploring the subjective dimensions of engaging with narrational complexity. Drawing on 20 in-depth interviews with viewers of complex popular films and series, we identify key experiential themes that cut across cognitive, affective, and reflective dimensions: sense of presence, confusion, narrative play, epistemic emotions (such as curiosity and frustration), and moments of meta-awareness. Using thematic analysis, we show that although navigating narrational complexity can be demanding, viewers often find in this very challenge a source of enjoyment and meaning. Our findings offer a qualitative, data-driven perspective that complements existing media-theoretical and psychological models of narrative processing, with implications for the study of narrative engagement and cognitive film studies.