If you want to keep viewers on a tight leash, start with a hook that pulls them in like a good camera angle pulls the eye. Throw in a mystery in the first scene, a red herring, and make the stakes so high they feel like they're on a wire. Keep your main character tight—give them secrets that never fully surface, so they’re always asking “what’s next?” Add a line that’s ambiguous and leave a payoff that never fully lands, so the audience stays restless. Tight scenes, punchy dialogue, and a nagging question that never resolves—those are your leashes.