Social narratology draws from anthropology, evolutionary biology, experimental media studies, and social psychology to catalogue notions of the “function of fiction” in human relations. This paper describes the project of social narratology using film narratives as a primary example. It extends cognitive research focused on spectator response and the moment of engagement to emphasize the sociality of media use: the way narratives facilitate and mediate the spaces between people. Social narratology considers film as a storytelling art foremost, and addresses questions regarding the humanistic and ethical functions of narrative theory.
