THE SHADOWS (2-page short horror screenplay) by Matthew Taylor

A scared woman takes to the City’s shadowy alleyways to escape her pursuer.

Looks can be deceiving, at least in Matthew Taylor’s atmospheric horror micro-short, The Shadows, which was the 2nd highest rated script in the 1st round of the Simply Scripts May Writing Challenge (and my personal favorite).

The story opens in the dark, city streets where we meet Tabi as she runs for her life barefoot while wearing a cocktail dress. We don’t a lot but we know she’s running from someone… or something. We soon find out that she’s running from a hooded man but we don’t know why this man is chasing her. We can only assume he has evil intentions.

You ever watch a horror movie and yell at the screen when a character makes a questionable decision? Well, that’s exactly what Tabi does when she decides to dart into an even darker back alley with her pursuer not very far behind. She even trips and falls! For God’s sake, it almost seems like these people in these movies WANT to get caught! BUT…

While the setup uses very familiar horror tropes, the story takes us into a completely different direction, completely subverting our expectations as an audience and hitting us with a complete curve-ball. Even after the curve-ball, the surprises and twists keep coming… and all within two pages!

I can’t provide any more information about the story – it would spoil the fun of discovering the twists on your own. But I assure you, this one makes fantastic use of its two pages, packing in A LOT in such a short amount of time. This one is NOT short on thrills. And the creepy atmosphere and imagery elevate this even more above your average horror thriller.

If you’re a filmmaker looking for something budget-friendly that has serious viral potential, I recommend scooping this one up before someone else does.

BUDGET: Shoe-string.

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.

Read: THE SHADOWS (2-page short horror screenplay)

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

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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.

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Over on the Original Scripts page are 14 original, unproduced scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

Hannah learns that running from her demons only makes things worse.

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Mikey’s Discount Drive-In Ep 4: W/ Actor Asta Paredes

KITTENS (4-page short thriller radio screenplay) by PAUL KNAUER

When it comes to love, always have a backup plan.

Coming in a very close 2nd place in April’s audio-only themed Quickie Challenge is a thriller from writer, Paul Knauer, about a man who has a very bad problem being loyal to his wife… to the point where it becomes deadly.

NOTE: Now, there are minor visuals in this script, but it’s mainly Jake’s hand on the various cell phones he uses (more on that later).

The story opens with Jake answering a phone call from his wife, Lisa – though he refers to her by the cute pet name “Kitten”. Apparently, he’s away on a business trip in Memphis, shacked up in a hotel. Of course, Jake is lying – as always. But, this time, Lisa is on to him.

As Lisa breaks things off with him over the phone, Jake gets another call… from another cell phone. This is from his girlfriend, Cora, who he also refers to as “Kitten”. She just so happens to be on her way to meet up with him. She just had to make one stop – at Lisa’s house.

Desperately trying to call his wife back to warn her, more and more cell phones ring, one after the other, a cell phone for each woman he’s seeing on the side (and he refers to all of them as “Kitten”). It gets so confusing that he forgets which phone his wife is on, which makes it even more frantic since the clock is ticking…

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but the chaotic finale ends on a darkly comic note that’ll make you both squirm and chuckle at the same time.

BUDGET: No-budget – shoestring (99% audio).

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.

Read: KITTENS(4-page short thriller radio screenplay)

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*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.

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PAUL (3-page short drama screenplay) by STEVEN CLARK

Sometimes, the best gift you can give is to just listen…

The world can be a very cruel and lonely place sometimes. As someone who lives in New York City, I see homeless people every single day, whether they’re on the subway begging for change or making their money as street performers. Either way, they spend most of their days alone, being ignored, neglected… and often mocked.

In writer Steven Clark’s heartfelt, slice of life dramatic piece, our title character knows this type of life all too well – he is a homeless street performer who spends his days strumming the guitar for passersby with hopes of collecting a little change. At night, he takes shelter in the basement of a local church. When he wakes up, it’s back to the street corner with his guitar. That’s pretty much every day for Paul.

Paul is a pleasant man, just trying to survive. Strumming the guitar seems like somewhat of a peaceful outlet for him, helping him forget about his hardships every time he picks up the guitar. Unfortunately, it seems like the guitar is his only friend.

But he has his fans. A passerby named Rory, for instance, seems to enjoy Paul’s guitar playing. Most people, however, ignore him. Or, like a pair of obnoxious teenagers at the story’s opening, make fun of him.

There’s a sadness in the tone of “Paul” and how he’s treated. He just seems like such a nice guy, we really do feel for him and empathize with his lonely existence. But, by story’s end, we see just how important making a connection with someone really is and how something as small as saying “hi” can make someone’s day. Kindness can really go a long way. It’s a shame there isn’t more of it the world.

SPOILER ALERT: You may shed a tear or two before FADE OUT.

BUDGET: Low. Minimal cast, minimal locations.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Based in upstate, NY, Steven Clark is the writer of over 30 short scripts, several of which are under option, in pre-production, or have already been made into films. On A Clear Night, a family Christmas feature aimed at a Hallmark Channel-type audience, is currently in the works. Steven can be reached at his website.

Read: PAUL (3-page short drama screenplay)

Discuss 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.

Subscribe to Michael’s YouTube Channel.

Two page Horror/Thriller/Sci Fi scripts of the May Challenge are up!

Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are twenty original scripts for your reading pleasure.

May Challenge is coming!

– Don