THE INFERNAL DEVICE (11-page short horror screenplay) by Jesson Kinder

Writer’s block becomes the least of a novelist’s worries after she buys a cursed typewriter. Each story she completes leads to more blood on her hands. Can she escape the curse?

As a writer myself and a massive fan of the horror genre, I was immediately drawn to Jesson Kinder’s clever slasher/supernatural hybrid, The Infernal Device, after checking out the log line. I’m always up for a good “cursed item/totem” horror story – Child’s Play, Annabelle and Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell come to mind. But, while I’m drawn to movies that explore curses, hexes and voodoo, the fascination carries over to real life. Now, I don’t really believe in that kind of thing, but there’s definitely a what if factor that scares the hell out of me. I searched Ebay for cursed items and found listings for dolls, Dybbuk boxes, paintings, coins, jewelry, Ouija boards, you name it. Again, I don’t believe in that sort of thing. But would I ever purchase any of these items? Hell no. I wouldn’t want any of those things anywhere near me. It’s highly unlikely, in my opinion, that these items carry curses – but just in case I may be wrong, I’ll pass. It’s just not worth the risk.

But what if you didn’t know an item was cursed? Well, that’s exactly what happens to the story’s protagonist, Mallory Chambers, a best-selling author who stumbles upon a cursed typewriter at a yard sale.

The story opens with Mallory furiously typing away on said typewriter. Under a lot of pressure to follow up her last best-selling novel with another hit, she seems to be suffering from a little case of writer’s block. It’s almost as if she’s FORCING herself to write. Sure, most writers usually do the same, but there seems to be a life-or-death sense of urgency motivating her. That’s when an intruder breaks into the room with one goal in mind – to kill Mallory.

But just as she’s about to get killed, we cut to Mallory in a cafe, staring at her laptop. It turns out that the opening scene was either a dream or a possible excerpt from her new book… so we think.

With the 4th of July coming up, Mallory and her successful actor boyfriend, Javier, hit up a yard sale at a trailer home to purchase some fireworks. But Mallory has her eye on something else there… the typewriter. The typewriter that its seller, Gene, who looks like he hasn’t slept in years, is more than happy to get rid of.

Immediately using the typewriter with hopes of being inspired, Mallory gets back to her next novel, Killing King – it’s about Stephen King’s creations coming to life, as she describes it to Javier. But sure enough, in very cleverly executed meta-horror fashion, her own creations come to life and innocent people start getting killed off by a psycho wearing a paper-mache mask… an almost perfect replica of Mallory’ s face!

Once she discovers that her story is coming to life and innocent people are getting offed, she tries to get rid of the typewriter. But whether she’s tossing it into a dumpster, smashing it to bits or setting it on fire, it always seems to mold back into shape and return to her.

After more casualties, Mallory tries returning it to its seller, Gene – who, of course, doesn’t take the typewriter back. But he breaks down the rules for her – which I won’t reveal here because it’ll spoil the fun of finding out on your own. The script does follow a formula we see in a lot of books and films about curses and cursed items, but it’s a proven formula. And writer, Jesson Kinder, executes it so damn well. Insanely entertaining and immensely clever, The Infernal Device will have you on the edge of your seat all the way through to its chaotic finale. A fun ride throughout, it will be impossible to wipe the grin from your face while reading.

BUDGET: Low. There are a few locations, but they’re mainly simple – a coffee shop, an apartment and a trailer home. The priciest part of the script is probably the ending (there’s a fire/explosion involved).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Jesson Kinder has been writing teleplays, shorts, and a feature length movie scripts over the past several years. Though he has yet to “break in”, he continues to work hard at his craft and improve as a writer, still typing away and creating stories. Regardless of the genre, Jesson love a good story with memorable characters – applying that very same love to his own works. Jesson can be reached at jessonkinder (a) mail.com.

Read THE INFERNAL DEVICE (11-page short horror screenplay)

Discuss this script on the discussion board

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

CC (a 6-page short horror screenplay) by Anthony Cawood

An Augmented Reality ghost hunt hits close to home.

I’m absolutely obsessed with the paranormal. I probably spend more time on Youtube watching ghost videos and listening to podcasts than I’d care to reveal. I’ve never really seen a ghost or any kind of paranormal entity, though I’ve had some eerie experiences that were enough to make me wonder and not completely dismiss the possibility. Though, in those same experiences, there were a number of logical explanations for each strange encounter. So, it wasn’t enough for me to conclude, without a shadow of a doubt, that ghosts are real, either. But I’d love to see one. It’s something I’d really like to cross off my bucket list. I even downloaded an EVP recorder app for my phone. So far, no such luck, however.

But, as cool as it would be to have a real paranormal encounter and as drawn as I am to paranormal Youtube channels, there’s a part of me that would freak the eff out if I did have an encounter. Fear is part of that curiosity. It’s a visceral feeling and part of the reason why so many people are drawn to scary movies, as well as shows like “Ghost Hunters” on TV and the litany of Youtube and TikTok channels devoted to things that go bump in the night.

The reason I was so drawn to Anthony Cawood’s eerie, June One-Week-Challenge entry, the aptly titled, CC, was due in large part to how relatable I found his main character, 17-year-old Rosie, to be. That, and the script was also effectively creepy and probably the easiest to film out of most of the wonderfully creative June entries.

The story takes place in real time, but it kind of felt like my daily routine – just sitting on the couch, listening to music on my ear pods while peeping paranormal Youtube videos on my television. This is the extent of my ability to multitask. And this is exactly what Rosie is doing as her 15-year-old brother, Dylan, lounges around, doing what little brother’s do best – annoying their older sister.

Set in the near future – sometime later this decade, I presume – Rosie checks out a Youtube channel called, “pARa LIVE” with the sound off, reading the closed captioning while listening to music. A poor man’s, lower-budget version of “Ghost Hunters”, Rosie watches the first-person POV-filmed show as its curious paranormal researcher tracks some sort of entity through a neighborhood using a downloadable smart phone app called the PARA-APP. Rosie nonchalantly downloads the app as she continues to watch the show, the tracker catching footage of a small, pale, impish, troll-like figure…

As she continues to watch the video, fully absorbed, a sudden chill tingles her spine once she realizes that the location of the live feed looks oddly familiar – just outside of her neighbor’s house. To make things creepier, the live feed follows the imp as it moves closer and closer to her home, forcing her to use the app as it seeks shelter within her once-comfy confines.

I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s an awesomely spooky example of classic, found-footage horror at its finest. As a massive horror fan, I can easily see this fitting into some sort of “VHS”-esque anthology while also racking up Youtube views as its own stand-alone film.

BUDGET: Shoe-string. Two actors, pretty much one location. And some camera trickery to capture the story’s creepy imp “character”.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Anthony Cawood is an award-winning screenwriter with one feature produced and a further four features optioned or in pre-production. In addition to features, he has over forty short scripts produced/sold/optioned – including ten filmed. Also occasionally pens screenwriting articles, interviews with writers and filmmakers, and even a short story or two. He can be reached on his website AnthonyCawood.co.uk.

Read: CC (a 6 page short horror script)

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

LITTLE RED (3-page short horror screenplay) by Daniel Piller

Alone on a rescue mission, Little Red Riding Hood ventures through a ruined fairy-tale world and encounters old enemies.

When we hear “fairy tale” being used in a sentence, it’s often used to describe something magical, surreal and fantastical – like a wondrous dream come true. Everyone wants that fairy tale wedding. People dream of meeting their “Prince Charming”. Or having some sort of fairy-tale ending to an important chapter in their lives.

When we think of fairy tales, we often associate it with something whimsical and innocent. I’m sure Disney’s interpretations of fairy tales over the past century or so such as Cindarella, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty have something to do with that. But the origins of these fairy tales are much, much darker and much, much more frightening. Now, there have been some darker interpretations of these tales in recent years – 2019’s horror telling of Hansel & Gretel, for one. And there have been various modernized takes on Little Red Riding Hood – the R-rated, wildly violent 90’s flick, Freeway with Reese Witherspoon as “Little Red” and Kiefer Sutherland portraying the “Big Bad Wolf” in the form of a serial killer who picks up hitchhikers.

But I can’t say I’ve ever seen or read an interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood that combined modern and classical elements the way that Daniel Piller’s cleverly-written version of the classic tale, Little Red, does.

The story begins with a very light and whimsical tone, the warm delivery of its narrator introducing us to this magical, fairy-tale world where the forest is vibrant and full of beautiful colors, birds singing joyously…

Fast asleep on a tree stump sits LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, 12, with her picnic basket next to her.

That’s when Little Red snaps awake and we’re brought into the present day, where she wakes up in a gloomy, dying forest void of life – the grass littered with dead songbirds scattered around like dead leaves.I doubt Disney would approve of the world presented to us in this version.

Cut, bruised and bleeding, we follow Little Red through this dark, post-apocalyptic forest, the tone of the narrator’s voice changing as it continues to provide us with context as she trudges towards Grandma’s house to rescue her…

She holds out her open palm to catch some snowflakes, only to see–

She observes the blackish, twisted branches above her, then notices the fading sunlight. It is dusk.

But, as the narrator later states, in some ways, the tale has stayed the same as Little Red approaches Grandma’s house, wolves howling in the distance, their big, glowing, yellow eyes staring out at her as they lurk in the darkness.

But this version of Little Red Riding Hood isn’t some helpless, innocent little girl just waiting to be devoured by wolves – she’s adapted to this frightening, post fairy-tale world. And she knows that, in order to survive and save Grandma, she needs to be just as ruthless as the villains and monsters that wait for her in the darkness. We see that she means business when she expertly assembles a machine gun as if she were a trained soldier in the midst of war.

Though this is a very dark interpretation, the story does invoke a feeling of hope as Little Red gets herself ready for battle – she is a legit bad-ass. And we get the sense that she’ll be able to take on whatever comes her way.

Highly atmospheric and wildly creative, Little Red is an interpretation of the classic fairy tale that truly deserves to be SEEN and not just read.

BUDGET: Low to medium. This script would be a great way for any visual effects artist to have a field day and show off their stuff – mainly with the colorful surroundings of the forest.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Daniel Piller is an aspiring screenwriter from Germany, who has been in love with storytelling for most of his life. While he enjoys to explore different genres, his scripts often feature crimes and various hardships, with an emphasis on complex, yet relatable characters. In the last few years, he has become more serious about improving and sharing his writing and hopes to entertain readers and eventually viewers with his work. Daniel can be reached at: kid_threepwood (a) web.de

Read LITTLE RED (3-page short horror screenplay)

Discuss this script on the discussion board

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

CONFESSIONS OF A CADAVER (3-page short horror screenplay) by Matthew Taylor

As a surgeon dissects a cadaver, it tells him a story he doesn’t want to hear.

If you watch gangster films, you’ve probably heard some variation of this line before – “Dead men don’t tell tales”. But if you watch true crime films and documentaries – I highly recommend Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries reboot – you know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sometimes, a cadaver can weave one hell of a tale… in great detail. A lot can be determined through examining a cadaver. Of course, cause of death is one of those things. And through toxicology reports and blood tests, you can also discover whether or not drugs were consumed leading up to their death… hell, you can even find out what the person ate the day of.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – What a grim introduction! Well, the script I’m reviewing is very grim and very dark. I’m sure you can tell by the apt title. But this isn’t just your everyday crime thriller or police procedural ala Criminal Minds, Law & Order or any of the CSI shows – this is a morality tale on a smaller, more personal scope that you’d see in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents reboot. And it all takes place in an autopsy room (or whatever the proper term is) where a surgeon examines a cadaver in front of a small group of medical students. And though they find out a lot about this cadaver in particular, its the surgeon that finds out more about himself during the examination in Matthew Taylor’s clever, sharply-written micro-short that’s just as grim as its title, Confessions of a Cadaver.

The story gets right to it, opening on a gloved hand making a Y-shaped incision into the abdomen of the title character, the cadaver.

All business, not a moment of emotional inflection in his voice, the surgeon is accompanied by an assistant/observer as the group of medical students watch attentively. As the surgeon continues to reveal more information about the cadaver while inspecting it, the observer seems to be a little bothered by his coldness and lack of emotion.

As the examination continues, the surgeon poking, prodding and showing the students the scarred organs (including the heart), we find out that the cadaver has endured drug abuse, alcohol abuse and even further self-harm made evident by the slash marks on its wrists – this was one depressed individual who was battling some serious demons.

But it’s through the observer that we soon find out the cadaver’s name – Henry. In fact, as the surgeon continues to explain every medical detail to the class, the observer, who’s continuously annoyed by the surgeon’s matter-of-fact disposition, reveals more and more detailed information about the subject’s personal life, far beyond the medical aspect.

As we continue to peel away at the onion, layer by layer, a truly shocking reveal is made. This intricately told story has a much deeper theme than what I’ve described so far, but to reveal that theme would be giving away the twist of the story.

I’m a huge fan of Matthew Taylor’s work – I previously reviewed a short of his, Inbox (1), which is still available, by the way. And Confessions of a Cadaver is a big reason why I admire this writer’s work so much. Excellent at creating an eerie tone, the writer also excels at exploring deeper themes that start off as subtle, slowly building to a gut-punch of a reveal. I highly recommend Confessions of a Cadaver to any filmmaker searching for a sharply-written, atmospheric tale that, not only gets under our skin visually, but also emotionally.

BUDGET: Low. Minimal cast (2 main characters), one room and some clever prosthetics.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Matthew Taylor is an accountant from Shakespeare’s county. Though fairly new to screenwriting, he is a naturally gifted storyteller hitting his stride as a writer, recently securing an option for one of his scripts. Though he’s always learning and looking to improve his craft, his skill level is far more advanced than most writers with similarly limited experience. Matthew spends his spare time reading scripts and books. His dream is to be able to make a living from screenwriting, specializing in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He can be reached at Taylor.MJ88 (a) Gmail.

Read CONFESSIONS OF A CADAVER (3-page short horror screenplay)

Discuss this script on the discussion board.

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

STAY SIX FEET APART (2-page short horror screenplay) by Rob Herzog

A socially distanced flirtation takes a hideous turn.

You know what would be awesome? If life went back to some semblance of normalcy again. There’s been flashes here and there – many restaurants around me have opened their outdoor seating, while keeping tables six feet apart. I believe in NYC this was part of Phase 2. Phase 3 was supposed to begin, but it’s been postponed after a spike in COVID-19 cases in Florida and Texas. Bummer. But as much as I’d really like to enjoy going out to a restaurant or bar and hanging out with friends again, while making new friends – what’s most important is everyone’s safety. And, as badly as I’ve craved a social life, I did think we were kinda jumping the gun a little bit.

I, myself, haven’t seen my girlfriend in person for a very long time, which sucks. But we do our best, watching movies together at the same time while texting each other comments during the movie, face-timing, etc. I do consider myself lucky despite the separation anxiety. Because how much must it suck to be single during all this quarantining and social distancing? How is romance possible without human contact? How do you even find the opportunity to meet that special someone? Do you know how many potential love connections HAVEN’T been made during this crisis? How many babies that HAVEN’T been conceived?

Horror connoisseur and writer of Stay Six Feet Apart, Rob Herzog, tackles romance during social distancing the only way we would expect Rob Herzog to tackle it – in the goriest, most gleefully disgusting fashion possible.

Somewhat of a commentary on safe social distancing, we open in a park where everyone keeps their distance while going about their days, all of them wearing N-95 masks. In a meet-cute moment straight out of a wholesome romantic comedy, two very attractive (from what we can tell with their masks on) potential lovebirds – PAIGE and AARON (both in their 20s) – cross paths. And they immediately catch each other’s eye – love at first sight.

Though there isn’t any dialogue, we see just how much of a connection is made between them. It starts off with some small talk and a few laughs. Soon, the couple is walking together through the park, though still keeping six feet apart from each other. But as their lovely walk through the park together continues, they begin to break their social distance more and more, getting closer and closer… until they finally touch hands in a wonderfully romantic moment that will fill your heart with warmth and remind you of first loves from the past.

Finally, Paige blows Aaron a kiss. But, unable to fight this temptation, unable to let social distancing keep them from acting on their urges, things get hot and heavy. And they embrace…

But the romance takes a strange turn once the masks come off. Especially when Paige removes her mask first. In a classic body horror reveal, we find out just how strong this potential couple’s connection really is. This reveal felt like early Peter Jackson meets David Cronenberg, but Rob Herzog definitely puts his own unique twist on it.

Cute, funny and gleefully repulsive, “Stay Six Feet Apart” is the perfect romance/horror micro-short for this strange time we’re living in. And with only two actors and an outdoor location, this would be ideal to film during social distancing at dirt cheap – though I do recommend a strong make-up artist.

BUDGET: Shoe-string – Low. Two actors, a park and a good make-up artist, particularly one that specializes in the horror genre.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Rob Herzog is a Chicago screenwriter. He has sold two short scripts and won prize money in two small screenwriting contests. His short horror script Creak and Shriek was produced in 2019 by Mad Dreamer Entertainment and can be viewed on various platforms like Amazon Prime, YouTube and Vimeo. He has a master’s degree in English composition from Northeastern Illinois University. Rob can be reached at: robherzogr (a) hotmail.

Read STAY SIX FEET APART (2-page short horror screenplay)

Discuss this script on the discussion board.

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

FROM BEFORE (12-page short horror screenplay) by James Austin McCormick

An ambitious university professor finds the things he’s done to come so far so quickly come back to haunt him… quite literally.

As a massive horror fan, it might be surprising to hear that I am not a massive fan of horror films about the occult and satanic rituals. I’m not sure why, exactly, though I’ve seen a few really, really good ones – Rosemary’s Baby, The Wicker Man (not the Nicolas Cage remake), the excellent South Korean film, The Wailing and, more recently, Ari Aster’s films, Hereditary and Midsommar. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, for me to enjoy a horror flick about the occult, it has to be really, really good. The same goes for screenplays.

Luckily, I stumbled upon James Austin McCormick’s twisty, uber-creepy occult horror short, From Before, which is currently available for production*.

The story kicks off when we meet the ambitious and already very successful Dr. Sam Adams, a 26-year-old professor of literature and vice chairman of the committee of trustees at his college. He’s speaking to his class about Faustus – a nice touch of foreshadowing – when, suddenly, he begins to smell something burning. He continues to quiz his students on Faustus but can’t seem to shake that odor that only he seems to smell. That’s when he looks to a student named Michael and notices peculiar burn marks fresh upon his face.

Claire, Sam’s girlfriend, seems to think these waking nightmares are the product of stress. After all, Sam is taking on a lot of responsibility for someone in their mid 20s after rising up the ranks so quickly.

After a love-making session to shake off the stress, Sam wakes up to the horrifying image of a demon-like figure in his room named Jack – staring at Sam through the dark with reptilian eyes and claws. Jack tells Sam the same thing that he thought he heard in his earlier waking nightmare – “I’m coming for you.”

We soon find out that Jack is also the name of Sam’s brother, who has been lying in a coma for the past three years. You see, at least according to Sam, Jack was into magic and the occult and lit himself on fire as part of a magic trick. After Sam’s most recent waking nightmare, he learns that Jack has indeed passed away – one hell of a coincidence, so it seems. Of course, we discover that it wasn’t a coincidence at all.

As the story ensues, Sam’s mental health continues to spiral to the point where he’s scaring his girlfriend Claire, who’s quite disturbed by all the symbols and markings Sam has decorated his house with – he claims it’s for protection. But protection from what, exactly?

To reveal anything more would be spoiling it for you. But I will say there is quite a double swerve at the end – a very satisfying one at that. A very tight script with plenty of twists and turns, this little tale also has some genuinely creepy moments and even some great jump scares – which is difficult to pull off on paper. If you’re a filmmaker looking to scare the “hell” out of your audience, I recommend taking a look at From Before.

BUDGET: Low.

ABOUT THE WRITER: James Austin McCormick is a college lecturer and compulsive writer of speculative fiction with many short stories published in various anthologies along with novellas and novels published with Class Act Books. As a screenwriter, James has consistently placed high in international competitions and, along with a co-author, has had three feature-length horror scripts optioned by K5 films. With a long list of short-length scripts, James also collaborated with talented writer, Annabel Grace, on the produced short, In the Silence. You can find his works on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. James can be reached at: jimbostories (a) hotmail.

Read FROM BEFORE (12-page short horror screenplay)

Discuss this on the Discussion Board

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

PASSWORDS (5-page short horror screenplay) by PAUL KNAUER

A 12-year old gamer is harassed by an online opponent.

Remember the good old days when video games were simple and easier to play? My video game playing days came to an end when the controllers started becoming more complex – just “A”, “B”, “Select”, “Start”, “Up”, “Down”, “Left” and “Right” was complicated enough for my brain capacity to handle. I remember smoke coming out of my ears trying to get my brain to adjust from the 8-bit graphics NES offered to the mind-blowing 16-bit graphics of Sega Genesis. I mean, what was this, The Jetsons?

Since then, video gaming has evolved considerably. So much so that you can play with someone thousands of miles away while speaking to them through a headset. Not to mention the VR craze that regained popularity in recent years. I stayed away from VR after seeing one too many people fall and make asses out of themselves.

But as convenient and interactive as online gaming has become, it’s also opened up a whole another can of worms – online bullying, for one. One of the more frightening occurrences that have become more common over the years is swatting – when someone finds out your address and calls the cops on you, falsely reporting a hostage situation or other crime. And, through online gaming (and online technology in general), it’s also easier for people to find information about you – PRIVATE information.

This is what happens in Paul Knauer’s aptly titled horror short, “Passwords”, where we meet 12-year old Jesse, who’s playing an opponent through his VR headset while smack-talking through his computer. But the trash-talk rubs another online gamer the wrong way.

To Jesse’s chagrin, this wouldn’t be the last he’d hear from the mysterious Leonard55. In fact, just after posting his comment, the electricity in his room shuts off for a few moments.

“How do you like the dark?” Jesse leans forward as a second message quickly follows: “Who’s stupid now?”

The lights snap back on. Music suddenly blasts from a nearby device. Jesse scrambles to unplug the speaker.

Not only does Leonard55 somehow know Jesse’s name, but he’s now gained control of his VR headset, taking over his virtual world and changing his avatar to that of a little girl. It’s here where Jesse (now a little girl) faces off with some kind of hulking demon in some dark, creepy-looking virtual basement.

For a story about some 12-year old kid sitting in a room, playing video games, this was surprisingly eerie and atmospheric with some nice horrifying visuals – one of the creepier entries from the June, One Week Challenge. Though frightening, the story was still very fun to follow. And the ending isn’t quite how you would expect it to unfold. A fun script, this would be even more fun to see on screen. Filmmakers need to jump on this one quickly!

BUDGET: Low. Though there’s some VR scenes that may be perceived as video game animation. But those scenes can easily be shot in live action as it takes place only in a dark room.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Paul is an optioned and produced screenwriter working out of the Kansas City area. His main focus is thrillers and slightly absurdist comedy with heart, most of them about life in the Midwest U.S. His first script, a sitcom pilot titled OH, BROTHER!, placed second in the 2012 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition and was subsequently optioned. Paul’s diverse portfolio includes several feature thrillers, a couple of comedy features and multiple sitcom pilots, as well as dozens of shorts across genres. He believes that becoming a better writer requires the ability to push personal boundaries. Paul can be reached at: pkcardinal (a) gmail.

Read: PASSWORDS (5-page short horror screenplay)

Discuss this script on the discussion board.

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

In The Red (short, horror, action script in pdf format) – written by John Staats; Art by Sean Bova

Content Warning – Graphic Violence

There’s a path in the Fairy Tale forest and it’s name is Jack.

Based on One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (short, action, horror)

(click the image to go to the full-sized version)

There’s a path in the Fairy Tale forest and it’s name is Jack.

Based on One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (short, action, horror)

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board

About the writer: As a fly-fishing fanatic and skier living in the Arizona desert, John Staats has plenty of time for writing. After focusing on features and shorts for the screen, John has now ventured into writing for the illustrated page with hopes of eventually writing a full-feature graphic novel. His feature Impasse has also been published as an e-book on Amazon. John can be contacted at jestaats(a)hotmail.

About the illustrator: Sean Bova lives near Los Angeles drawing monsters and comics while trying to figure out how to build a real Mechagodzilla. Sean’s website is SeanBova.com and he can be found on Instagram and Twitter

TERMS & CONDITIONS (6-page short horror screenplay) by Anthony Cawood

A desperate dash to answer a call of nature leads to an unexpected diagnosis.

Technology is so smart these days, isn’t it? It kinda started off with the smart phone, which took me a few years to accept and adjust to. I didn’t even know what a “smart phone” was at first, though I was told that my flip phone wasn’t considered one (that was in 2014). Then everyone started getting smart TVs and soon after, I started seeing smart microwaves, toasters, ovens, refrigerators and even fireplaces.

In Anthony Cawood’s June FUTURE CHOCK One Week Challenge winner, “Terms & Conditions”, the story centers around a smart TOILET. Now, I had to Google this, but there are already smart toilets on the market. Though most are simple – they pretty much just save water and electricity – there’s a bunch out there that have foot and seat warmers, bidets, touch-screen remotes, built-in speakers to go along with built-in radios and MP3 players… you name it.

But the smart toilet in this story is, well… smarter. Imagine a toilet that can actually run tests on your urine with almost-immediate test results. Doesn’t really sound too far-fetched, come to think of it. It will only be a matter of time when these kinds of smart toilets are used to perform instant-result drug tests and possibly even medical tests, giving patients a diagnosis and prognosis within minutes…

Which is pretty much what the toilet in Anthony’s story does. Set in the near future, possibly the late 2020’s, we open in a shopping mall where we follow 70-year old Ted Lawson, who has one goal in mind: to find the nearest bathroom. He’s gotta go and he’s gotta go BAD.

Finally, after finding one, he hurries into the nearest cubicle and unleashes a stream that could crack a windshield. But, as he finishes up, something strange happens.

Ted thinks he’s on one of them hidden camera shows at first – which would be the creepiest hidden camera show ever. But he soon finds out what exactly he walked into.

In a rush to relieve himself, Ted unfortunately did not read the terms and conditions posted on the door before entering.

Ted tries to leave but finds himself locked in until the MediScan toilet finishes analyzing his urine sample for results – results that he probably would’ve preferred to find out about from an actual doctor. And as Ted receives the horrible news, he soon finds out that MediScan isn’t only cleared to run tests and deliver results – it’s also allowed to perform a “service” that’s apparently legal in the future. I won’t give away the fun of it (or horror in this case), but let’s just say Ted signed something without reading it, allowing this frighteningly blunt robot toilet to perform what it was programmed to do.

For some reason, while reading the toilet’s dialogue, I kept hearing the voice of Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Which kinda sent chills up my spine despite the screenplay’s fun nature – well, fun up until the horrifying conclusion. A very unique and original story, this would be a very memorable film to watch unfold on screen.

BUDGET: Low. One location, two actors. But some creativity on the filmmaker’s part will be needed to show the toilet functioning the way it does in the story.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Anthony Cawood is an award-winning screenwriter with one feature produced and a further four features optioned or in pre-production. In addition to features, he has over forty short scripts produced/sold/optioned – including ten filmed. Also occasionally pens screenwriting articles, interviews with writers and filmmakers, and even a short story or two. He can be reached on his website AnthonyCawood.co.uk.

Read: TERMS & CONDITIONS (6-page short horror screenplay)

Discuss this script on the Discussion Board

*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

Find more scripts available for production.

About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.