A Line in the Sand (6 pages in pdf format) by Tim Westland

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive. – The Dalai Lama

“A Line in the Sand,” a short screenplay by award-winning screenwriter (and graphic novelist) Tim Westland, describes a gritty dystopian future, a civilization on the edge, at a crossroads — a dramatic, high-tension moment that could either rescue mankind from itself or cause our society to unravel completely.

The story takes place in 2037, and like all the best tales of futuristic dystopias (e.g. Blade Runner, The Matrix, etc.), “A Line in the Sand” is a masterful blend of two things: First, it’s a rockin’ good sci-fi story (complete with all the trimmings — UltraMarines, exo-suits, and high-tech weaponry) with a somber gloominess about it. This is one possible future that we hope never comes to pass. And secondly — it’s totally plausible. It could come to pass. “A Line in the Sand” pits religious fanaticism against nuclear madness. It’s like a headline from today’s news — projected twenty years into the future. Scary, to say the least.

There’s a third thing that ramps up the emotional impact of this script — more than anything else it’s a story about people. Specifically two people: two men, both warriors, but radically different nonetheless. One is a military man trying to save the world; the other a fanatical religious terrorist trying to tear it to shreds.

They meet on a California beach at sunset after the terrorist group has destroyed a nuclear reactor. It’s a horrific scene. As UltraMarine John Hawkins says, it’s “going to stain this coastline for the next ten thousand years.” While he combs through the rubble on the beach, he stumbles upon a lone survivor, one of the terrorists. The man is badly injured, “covered with festering radiation sores.” Hawkins could kill him right then and there. Why not? An eye for an eye and all that. Among the horror and the wreckage, what’s one more death?

But the damage is already done; one more death won’t make things right. And Hawkins is a compassionate man. So when the injured terrorist asks for a favor – the chance to enjoy one last sunset – Hawkins carries him to the beach and props him up against a rock at the water’s edge. As they listen to the waves crash against the shoreline and watch the sun touch the horizon, the two men share philosophies: one contemplating a grim future, the other with not much future left.

But which is which? And, the terrorist’s story-line isn’t quite yet. It turns out there’s still some life radiating within him.

Is the Dalai Lama right? Without compassion can humanity survive?

Maybe Hawkins should have killed him when he had the chance…

Budget: Moderate-to-high. Some futuristic scene setting may be required, but with some creativity (or some CGI), they could be simulated.

About the writer: The co-writer of the acclaimed graphic novel Chasing the Dead, Tim Westland received first place for Balls Out in the NNYM 15 page contest. A moderator at Moviepoet, he’s an outstanding writer with an eye for the details. His IMDB page can be found here.

About the reviewer: Helen Magellan (a pseudonym) is a successful screenwriter with several produced short scripts under her belt.

Read A Line in the Sand

Find more scripts available for production

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

Heartbeat (7 pages in pdf format) by Anthony Cawood

A florist is asked to help connect an unrequited lover with the object of his affection, with unexpected results.

A quiet day in a quiet florists finds store assistant, Maisy, counting her every heartbeat in a bid to alleviate the boredom.

Enter Derin, scruffy yet sincere, and – more importantly – in the market for flowers. For Derin it’s a special occasion; he’s got love on his mind. A certain kind of love that requires a certain kind of flower and Devin’s darned if he knows his Tulips from his Roses in matters of floral arrays.

If only there were someone to guide him…

As luck (and training) would have it Maisy has the answer to his quest – Daffodils. Unfortunately for Derin what she doesn’t have is Daffodils. They’re not in season and try as she might there’s no second best for Devin when it comes to affairs of the heart. Devin leaves empty handed. Maisy gets back to counting the minutes.

One quiet day rolls into another and as Maisy turns up the next day to open shop she makes a surprise discovery. A certain kind of discovery that sets her heart to racing faster than she can count.

But anything more would be spoiling the surprise.

Anthony Cawood’s Hearbeat offers a sweet tale of a young man’s first step on the road to love. The offbeat and understated style doesn’t so much as grab you by the hand and take you for a ride as much as smile and ask you to follow. Straightforward with minimal locations/characters and a few handy flowers as props. Great for a filmmaker looking for a heartfelt short to win an audience over.

Production: Florist shop. Three Actors.

About the writer: Anthony Cawood is an award-winning and produced screenwriter. He has sold/optioned four feature screenplays, and sold/optioned over forty short scripts, many of which have been filmed. Outside of his extensive screenwriting career, Anthony is also a published short story writer, interviewer and movie reviewer. Links to his films and details of his scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

About the reviewer: Steve Miles started writing scripts around five years ago after realizing that his social life was vastly overrated. He enjoys writing in a variety of genres but leans toward raw, grittier characters and the worlds they inhabit – from the deadly serious to the darkly comic. Drinks coffee, owns an unhealthy amount of plaid and uses a calculator for the most basic of sums. Check out more of his work at sjmilesscripts.webs.com

Read Heartbeat

Find more scripts available for production

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

Retrocausality (11 pages in pdf format) by Ian J. Courter

Scientists probe the past to find the source of radiation affecting the present only to discover the surprising cause.

From “Terminator” to “Time Bandits,” “Back To The Future” and “Planet Of The Apes,” the cinema has always been fascinated with the “what ifs” of time travel. Just as mankind is intrigued by what is to come, we’re equally enthralled by what could have been. It’s human nature to want to undo what’s been done. To rewrite what’s been written.

What screenwriter Ian J. Courter has written is an inventive twist on the genre. His short, “Retrocausality,” starts with overzealous scientists* who have cornered the market not only on time travel, but time sensing (the ability to peek back in time) as well. Their current project: a look back to ancient Mongolia. They’ve captured data on an unexplained nuclear reaction, and plan to open a real-time probe portal to investigate its origin.

In order to get the real-time data feed, scientist Jacobs (a “thin and geeky” brainiac) tells his pudgy counterpart Mabry they’ll need to boost the power of their generator to 112%. The request sets off big-time alarms in Mabry’s mind.

            MABRY
What?! You trying to fry us all?

            JACOBS
We’re good… as long as the coolant
flows. If it starts to over-clock
too much…

            MABRY
       (overlapping)
You mean “melt down.”

Jacobs spins his chair towards his colleague.

            JACOBS
Semantics

Semantics, indeed. But it’s too late to call off orders, and so the investigation proceeds. The portal to 1227 is opened and the probe slides through in daylight… at ground level, no less. Yet another high risk play.

            MABRY
The doorway is at ground level.
Stuff can get through.

            JACOBS
These are the coordinates they gave me.
Besides, as if birds couldn’t get through before.

Mabry opens his mouth to retort… And his worst fears are quickly proven right.

Within seconds, hundreds of Mongolian warriors spot the probe and race toward it, a hostile force. The scientists scramble to get the probe back through the portal – the primitive horde in hot pursuit. With the already steaming generator close to melt-down, the situation becomes a heart pounding race both for survival and time. Will the team close the portal before it’s breached? And even if they do… will there be a present day world left to save?

Are you a SF director in search of an intelligent time-travel tale…? One that’s unique, not cliché? Then give Retrocausality a scientific look. Yes, you’ll need a solid FX budget to do this one right. But it’s a story that audiences won’t soon forget!

* Arrogant scientists pushing the boundaries of nature…. what time travel story would be complete without some of them?!

About the writer: Ian J. Courter has an academic and technical-writing background, and is published in both fields, so a shift to another form of writing seemed natural. He strives to combine his writing skills with nearly two decades of military experience to develop screenplays with vivid locations and in-depth, realistic characters. What started as a hobby quickly became a passion. In only a few short years, he has written three feature-length screenplays and nine short scripts. He currently has several feature-length scripts in various stages of development and continually seeks inspiration for more. His email address is ian.j.courter (a) gmail.com.

About the reviewer: Zack Zupke is a writer in Los Angeles. He can be contacted via email at zzupke (a) yahoo

Read Retrocausality (pdf format)

Find more scripts available for production

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

Insta-Dream (5 pages, pdf format) by Richard Russell

What if you could orchestrate the perfect life with the click of a button…

Well, actually you can. Life in the digital age means it’s never been easier to present to the world at least the illusion of perfect.

Log on to Facebook or Instagram and witness the multitude of shiny happy faces, perfect families spouting philosophical platitudes and sunny dispositions; posting funny home-videos, snaps of vacations, announcements of promotions and celebrations of career milestones.

If it’s photogenic enough even your lunch and gourmet coffee can go viral.

Richard Russell’s cleverly titled Insta-Dream presents the idea that even if you don’t like your life you can easily give it an Insta-Facelift.

Enter thirty year old Trevor, not exactly living the life of his dreams. He’s a waiter in a local diner with aspirations of being a writer. So far Trevor has the equivalent of ‘zilch likes’ and he’s about as far away as anyone can get from cracking any best seller lists or making it big with that blockbuster screenplay.

The reality is he’s barely eking out a living serving eggs sunny-side up on minimum wage. There’s one thing however that Trevor can do, and that is to give the illusion that everything in his life is going swimmingly well.

Cue Natalie, also in her thirties, mother to Billy, ten, and Isabella, eight. As they settle into a booth at the diner it’s clear she, Trevor, and the kids share a special rapport. Trevor ruffles Billy’s hair, gives Isabella the warmest of smiles, as they huddle together for what appears to be an idyllic family snap.

But what’s really going on here?

Trevor’s out to impress, that’s for sure, but it’s not Natalie he wants to impress.

See it’s not easy being a hack flipping burgers day to day when your dad is an adventurous traveller off to explore far flung exotic locales. Most recent trip the crystal blue waters and white sands of Bali. Next stop, Prague.

All Trevor wants is to make his dad proud. Nothing wrong with that. Right?

As with all good tales there’s a surprise twist in the final denouement you won’t pick.

Insta-Dream is a poignant heartfelt and bittersweet story where lives intersect but don’t quite connect, where an estranged father and son communicate via the pics and highlights of their lives, where a picture can seem to paint a thousand words, but can be masquerading as something else entirely.

Want your dream to become an Insta-Reality? Best frame up this one quick smart then, before some other lucky filmmaker decides this one is going to be their Insta-Success.

Budget: Low. Locations: A Denny’s type Diner, and two other modest sets. Talent: Three adults, two photogenic kids, and a few extras. No FX needed.

About the writer: Richard Russell A writer should never pen his own bio. What seems important to a writer will no doubt bore most readers. Yet, writers do create their own bios, to the chagrin of everyone. My bio must be short and to the point as I have few literary successes to boast of. It seems I have been writing all my life, and indeed, if pages of print equal success, then I am as successful as anyone. Pages alone, though, doesn’t connote fame or success, just pages. I live in North Carolina, and I write whenever and however I can. The mere act of writing produces a joy that I find in no other endeavor. Whether or not my writing becomes known to many means little to me. Oh, I would love to be a household name, but that is not my goal. My goal is to write stories that compel the reader to finish. My goal is to create tales that will not let me quit them in mid-sentence. I am a dreamer and a procrastinator, and those traits are not ingredients for success. I also suffer from reverse paranoia. I think people are plotting to make me happy.

About the reviewer: L. Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia.

Read Insta-Dream (pdf format)

Find more scripts available for production

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

Fabric (16pages in pdf format) by Anthony Cawood

“A newly hired accountant searches through a village balance sheet to weed out inefficiencies. But is cutting corners always wise?”

Anticipation; it’s an experience vital for any script reader. Not to mention film audiences everywhere. Want to experience that tingly, edge-of-your-seat sensation?

Then crack open a script. And stop. Page One.

There it is. Can you feel it?

Before reading a single paragraph – anticipation’s the emotion you crave. That foreboding sense of things to come; the ebb and flow of narrative.

Now, imagine sitting in the theater. The lights dim; your dreams and hopes soon to appear. I hope this movie’s really good. You focus attention on the screen. And before you know it, the story grabs you by your very soul. Anticipation rules the day. Your sense of wonder; riveted. What’s going to happen next? That’s the best question of them all. What a captivating feeling!

The undercurrent of Anthony Cawood’s script Fabric, Anticipation is a gift to any script reader. One that keeps on giving.

The hero of our story: Jeremy Saunders – a newbie 20-something accountant, hired by a tiny village to audit its stumbling finances. When we first meet him, nebbish Jeremy’s hard at work at his PC – scrutinizing questionable payroll activity. The suspicious sum: “twenty thousand pounds a year” – an exorbitant amount being paid to some local man named Pater. And Pater’s “services” are suspect: winding the one and only church clock in town. One single time. Every day.

Though he presents his findings, Jeremy finds his concerns rebuffed by superiors: Pater provides an “essential service”, Old Man Gutherie claims. That of ‘clock winder’? How can this be? Unsatisfied by Gutherie’s dismissal, Jeremy’s bean-counter mind rebels. So he strikes off to tour the village, interviewing reluctant town folk everywhere. His mission: to uncover the suspected scam – in search of ‘truth’ and ‘clarity’.

As they say – game on.

As the day winds towards a close, Jeremy’s quest for Pater widens. Eventually, he tracks the elusive man down – meeting Pater at his very door.

And so, the mystery is laid bare. Who truly is Pater? Does he exist? And what do his “services” actually mean? A delicious underdog fantasy, Fabric weaves anticipation into a lyrical tale. One filled with wonder, and a pevertedly satisfying moral twist: “Be careful what you wish for. Pursue one’s questions, if you dare…”

Are you a director with imagination? Then give fairy-tale Fabric a whirl. Anticipation is a beautiful ingredient. One that will fill your audience’s hearts. Not to mention, the silver screen.

Budget: A small challenge, due to the rural setting. You’ll need some creativity to pull this one off, but the story is so worth it. 😀

About the writer: Anthony is an award winning screenwriter from the UK with 2 features optioned and over 30 short scripts optioned, or purchased, including 8 filmed. Outside of his screenwriting career, he’s a published short story writer and movie reviewer. Links to his films and details of his scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

About the Reviewer: California über reader/reviewer KP Mackie is working on a historical feature.

Read Fabric (pdf format)

Find more scripts available for production

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

Simpatico (21 pages in pdf format) by Libby Chambers

Two know-it-all friends believing themselves to be the authorities on love, sex, dating, and finding ‘the one’ recount the events of a one night stand.

Tennis can be a difficult endeavor. Strength, endurance and determination are required to even mildly succeed. Footwork, hand-eye coordination and cunning strategy take no backseat. Factor in the dimension of doubles play and the complexities double equally. The court expands. Communication is paramount and the volleys require cat-like reflexes during the exhilarating, ping-pong-on-steroids shootouts.

Like tennis, Libby Chambers’ “Simpatico” challenges the senses, hitting point after relationship point. A classic Australian Open match on paper, its characters crush poignant forehand observations and trade clever backhand quips, making the script worthy of center court applause.

The story begins with “INT. HOTEL – BEER GARDEN.” This script had me at “INT.” When the dialogue is served and the love story unfolds, it feels like you’re sitting next to the characters, sharing a glass of wine with Melissa (a buxom, outspoken brunette) and Ann (short, round and modest). Melissa confides to Ann: “I felt something really real between us, you know?”

“What, his penis?” Ann returns. Game on.

It’s also “on” across the garden as we chug a pint with 30-somethings Bob and Chad, who tells-all about his previous night’s date, “If you’d asked me at the start of the night, I’d have said dust off that penguin suit, fella”,” but it was a rather awkward finale.”

And – speaking of awkward: Chad and Melissa are dishing gossip about each other, with no clue they’re sitting just a handful of seats away.

            Chad
She was a bit too full on, you
know. Gave off this vibe.

            Melissa
I really think this guy might
be the one.

And so it goes, from opposite ends of the hotel. Back and forth they lob insights and serve momentum, revealing Bob and Ann – who have not met – may actually be perfect for one another. But, will they ever discover they’re at the same beer garden? Will true love miss its chance by sheer meters?

Chad and Melissa do eventually spot each other and the story escalates in fine fashion:

“Do you suppose she followed me?”

“Do you suppose he’s stalking me?”

“Oh shit, is she headed this way? I’m off for a leak.”

“This is where I play it super cool and slip off to the lady’s room.”

Chad and Melissa sneak to their respective hiding holes without noticing the other’s doing likewise. Bob and Ann do the same, both headed for the bar…

As for “Simpatico”, it’s surely headed for production and a round of success. Game, set, and match – comic relationship fun at its best.

Budget: Location cost is pint-sized – any non-fancy hotel or pub will do.

A Top Three Finalist in the LA Comedy Festival Screenplay Contest

About the writer: Libby Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She has also worked professionally as a freelance web-content editor and proofreader. She is thrilled her first ever entry into a Screenplay Comp – The LA Comedy Festival ‘Short’ screenplay division took out Top 3 Finalist and hopes the high placing will be a continuing trend. 🙂 Libby would love to see her words come to life on screen – and has another screenplay coming soon – a family friendly coming of age Drama – ‘Scooter’. She lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia, and describes him as being both a good and a bad influence on her writing. You can contact Libby at libbych “AT” hotmail

About the reviewer: An LA based writer, Zach Zupke can be contacted via email at zzupke “AT” yahoo

Read Simpatico (pdf format)

Find more scripts available for production

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

Change of Heart (8 pages in pdf format) by Eric Wall

A desperate virgin’s excursion to a dive bar yields unexpected results.

Urban Legends. They’re part of our culture. Our collective memory. Stories that are told again and again – usually with a moralistic spin. Don’t shirk your babysitting duties for your boyfriend. Or park in Lover’s Lane. Or investigate that noise in the closet. And definitely never get drunk in dive bars and hit on total strangers…

Now THERE’S an urban legend that’s stood the test of time: the one about the guy who gets wasted, only to wake up the next morning with a nasty hangover, in a bath loaded with ice… and missing some body parts… Maybe it’s never really happened, but that’s some evil stuff right there. A creepy tale that’s even inspired a notable Korean horror film, “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.”

It’s a scenario that inspired writer Eric Wall as well – and he’s taken it to some surprising (and delightful) places…

Meet protagonist Dennis. A sad-sack waste of a man. 37 years old. A virgin. Recently diagnosed with a heart defect. The fates haven’t been kind to poor Dennis – and it’s about to get far worse. When we meet poor D, he’s slumped in a seedy bar propositioning every female in sight. You see, Dennis is determined to get laid. Resolving at least one problem. Unfortunately for Dennis, his pickup lines stink on ice. As do his chances tonight…

At least until Tracy – an attractive vamp – slinks in the door. Sidling up to the bar and Dennis’ side, Tracy strikes up a conversation. And – as phenomenally unlikely as it seems – she seems to be attracted to him. A drink and some idle banter later, and Tracey agrees to take Dennis to a hotel room. Needless to say, she’s got a few ulterior motives in mind…

A straightforward, gory scenario – at least in SOME writer’s hands. But Change of Heart has surprises in store. Not to mention – heartfelt laughs. Witty and intelligent, Change has some amazing one liners. Not to mention amazingly fleshed out and sympathetic characters – in an eight page horror script, no less! You like dark comedy? Then give Change of Heart a try. It twists your expectations in delightful ways… all the way to its frosty end!

Budget: Relatively low – locations include a low rent bar and a cheap hotel bathroom.

About the writer: Eric Wall is a New Jersey based screenwriter who has written several short scripts, two features and is at work on multiple TV specs. He can be reached at e_wall1498 (a) yahoo.

About the reviewer: Anthony is an award winning screenwriter from the UK with 2 features optioned and over 30 short scripts optioned, or purchased, including 8 filmed. Outside of his screenwriting career, he’s a published short story writer and movie reviewer. Links to his films and details of his scripts can be found at www.anthonycawood.co.uk.

Read Change of Heart (pdf format)

Find more scripts available for production

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

The Deuce (10 pages in pdf format) by R. E. McManus

An elevator and two guys on their way up. What can go down?

We’ve all been there. A hundred times, some of us more than a thousand. It’s the world’s most uncomfortable space. Some are boxy, most rectangular. Fans, no fans. Carpeted or tiled. Mirrored or paneled. But always stuffy, cramped and slower than slow is: the infamous elevator ride.

I recently (true story alert) took a ride in my office building all the way from the penthouse to the ground floor. One floor down, six people shuffled in – one holding a newly-peeled banana, which she consumed as we descended. Ever peel a banana in a closet? With 10 other people present? Not an ideal situation for the senses. And that’s putting it mildly.

The situation is similarly far from appealing (pun alert) for Dominic Barry’s elevator ride in R. E. McManus’ “The Deuce,” a riveting and witty 10-page journey starting with:

“The sound of a body being dragged over concrete.”

The body is Dom’s and the draggers are Joey, 22-year-old scowler, and his pal Chrissy, “The type who could chew a toothpick without looking stupid.” Chrissy’s the brains of the operation, the sole purpose of which is: deliver Dom to the eighty-eighth floor.

Problem is, Dom’s not awake and Joey and Chrissy (think distant, but equally witty, cousins of Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega) differ on the importance of his consciousness.

            JOEY
Maybe I should wake him up.

            CHRISSY
You can ravish him for all I care.

Joey looks disgusted.

            JOEY
There’s no need to be so, so base.

There’s a “ding” as floor number 40 unexpectedly lights up. Chrissy pulls Joey tight to shield Dom as the doors open. Nothing. It’s a misfire in the mechanics. Doors close, and they resume ascending… just as poor Dom stirs. Joey and Chrissy pull out their silencers, an act which fails to silence Dom. He demands to know how he’s found himself bruised and battered in a dressing gown, plastic cable ties around his hands and feet.

“You’re David Barry and we’re taking you to John Feltz,” they tell him. Duh.

“I’m Dominic Barry and who is John Feltz?” Dom replies.

So the elevator rises, along with everyone’s blood pressure. Who is John Feltz? Is Dom really Dom, not David? Or is he just lying to stay alive? What will Feltz do if they deliver the wrong man? And why is the elevator stopping on the wrong floor yet again, this time on 70? Will all three men make it to the top?

You’ll be floored when you read the entirety of “The Deuce,” a suspenseful ride filled with exceptional dialogue. It’s an excellent opportunity for the right director and capable actors. Interest in this gem is sure to be…going up.

Budget: Minimal. Find a mate who works in an office building to let you in for a day on the weekend. Just make sure his last name’s not Feltz.

About the writer: R.E. McManus was born in England, of Irish roots. Hence he was always a little confused. He has since travelled the globe, and noted what he saw on his travels. He’s been writing since he could pick up a pen. The fact they were IOUs is neither here nor there.

He fell in love with film when he first saw 2001: A Space Odyssey at the age of six. Although he’s still not sure about the spelling of Odyssey. It’s still looks wrong,

He loves Fincher, Hitchcock and Kubrick. And Faith No More. And Elvis. He even has a dog named after him. This seemed like a good idea until he went to the park.

Visit his webstie at: rendevous.yolasite.com. Or email him directly at redarcy2000 (a) yahoo.co.uk

About the reviewer: Zack Zupke is a writer in Los Angeles. He can be contacted via email at zzupke “AT” yahoo

Read The Deuce (pdf format)

Find more scripts available for production

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

Enchanted Quill (10 pages in pdf format) by Mark Renshaw

A troubled young woman seeking answers about her dark past discovers a magic software app that allows her to make wishes comes true, but at a price – each wish costs her a fraction of her soul.

Fairytales play on our most primal of fears; from our moral anxieties and deepest desires to the monsters lurking in our subconscious they resonate through the ages to serve as warnings to the frailty of human nature.

            MILLY (V.O.)
Once upon a time there was a little
Princess who was betrayed by her
Prince Charming.

Milly was once a young, free-spirited innocent – that was until she met Malcolm:

            YOUNGER MALCOLM
Your parents said they would be late.
They asked me if I could give you a
lift home.

Unwittingly accepting the ride, Milly finds her young life locked in a cycle of tragedy and abuse as she’s passed from one monster to another.

The years pass and the abusers move on leaving Milly to struggle with the horrors of her childhood. One day she stumbles upon the dark web where a magic app called The Enchanted Quill gives her the promise of revenge. Of course, a deal like this comes at a price, but what’s 5% of your soul per wish when sweet vengeance is at stake?

And this is where we join the tale. Not in an enchanted kingdom in a land far away but an abandoned warehouse with Malcolm and cohorts trapped and Milly able to control their every action with the aid of The Enchanted Quill.

And this Princess is in no mood for forgiveness:

            MILLY
Fuck yeah! Let’s get the endgame
rolling. Enchanted Quill obey my
whim, give Malcolm a compound arm
fracture, through the skin! Woo, I
did a poem!

Milly proceeds to recount her tale, jumping from the past to the present as she puts her tormentors through their own personal hell. From the visceral to the surreal: fingernails are removed, arm bones are gnawed on and in a nod to the source material the repetition of mundane tasks takes the form of torture. Imagine taking off your shoes only to put them back on again…over and over and over…

Writer Mark Renshaw draws out the darker aspects of a little known fairytale called The Enchanted Quill to deliver a uniquely modern tale of retribution replete with monsters, tortured souls and unflinching violence. If you like to wring every last drop of blood from your horror then this is for you.

Budget: Four characters. Simple enough location wise with one main room and a handful of exterior shots informing the flashbacks. Plenty of gore on this one so experience with make-up and some creative effects would be a bonus. Based on The Enchanted Quill

About the writer Mark Renshaw In 2015, a short film he wrote and produced No More Tomorrows won several awards on the film festival circuit. He also won a ‘Top Pick’ award for his short script, ‘Automatic Drive’ in the finals of Reel Writers Competition.

His second film Surrender was released in September 2016. It has won Exceptional Merit awards for best Short Film, Writer, Lead Actor and Original Score in the Depth of Field International Film Festival.

‘Surrender’was most recently showcased in the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles and will feature in the Sunderlands Film Festival in May.  

Mark is currently working on producing his next script, a sci-fi short called ‘The Survivor.’ Filming is due to start in Milwaukee in mid-March.

You can check out his work on his website at Mark-Renshaw.com and on Mark’s Script Revolution profile.

About the reviewer: Steve Miles started writing scripts around five years ago after realizing that his social life was vastly overrated. He enjoys writing in a variety of genres but leans toward raw, grittier characters and the worlds they inhabit – from the deadly serious to the darkly comic. Drinks coffee, owns an unhealthy amount of plaid and uses a calculator for the most basic of sums. Check out more of his work at sjmilesscripts.webs.com

Read Enchanted Quill (10 pages, pdf format)

Find more scripts available for production

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