When to Ditch the Three-Act Structure? Seeking Advice!

Hey everyone, Ngozi here. I'm deep into outlining a new sci-fi project, a pretty character-driven piece about memory and identity, and I'm wrestling with structure. My go-to is always the three-act framework; it's reliable, audiences understand it, and honestly, it's just what I've been taught and used for years. I've tried forcing this current story into that mold, mapping out plot points, but it feels... contorted. The emotional arcs are clashing with the traditional beats, almost like the story wants to breathe differently.

The guide I'm using covers other structures, episodic, nonlinear, even five-act models. I'm genuinely curious: under what specific story conditions, or for what narrative goals, have you found it beneficial to intentionally break from the three-act framework? When is it truly better to embrace an alternative structure to serve the story, rather than just forcing it into the standard?