What happens when you don’t follow the three-act structure?

Although I said I couldn’t think of a film that DOESN’T follow the three act structure, I was reminded of this beauty.

Let me rephrase; I don’t know of a film that SUCCESSFULLY avoids the three act structure.

What about five act structure?

Five act structure is essentially the same as three act structure, however the second act (which is often the hardest to write) is broken into three pieces. The first act is still the setup and the final act is still the resolution, however act two is now three seperate acts in which part 1 (or act 2) is the success, part 2 (or act 3) is the problem section and part 3 (or act 4) is where everything is a disaster until the resolution comes along. For example, Frodo Baggins sets off on his quest in act one of The Lord of the Rings, seems to be making good progress by act two, runs into trouble with Golem and a whole bunch of other things in act three and finally destroys the ring and completes his quest in act four. Once again, this is reversed for tragedies; Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love (act 1), realise that their love is forbidden (act 2), defy rules and elope (act 3) before finally meeting their brutal end (act 4). This five act structure is used to guide writers when they attempt to write their second act, which is often the largest and most dense part of a story and can be difficult to break up if not structured correctly (*cough* Suicide Squad *cough*).