HERE COMES THE BOGEYMAN (23 page short horror script) By Zack Akers

He said he’s coming tonight.

Kids say the darnedest thing, don’t they? It’s always unsettling when that darndest thing happens to be something super creepy. Yes, it’s a very familiar horror trope. But it’s a horror trope that never fails to weird me right-the-F-out every time I see it in a film. It just works… if done effectively. And in, Here Comes the Boogeyman, it most certainly works – to very, very creepy effect.

But that’s merely the set-up to writer, Zack Akers’ atmospheric bone-chiller, which centers around another familiar trope in horror films and campfire tales alike – the Bogeyman.

The story opens with single mom, Mary, tucking in her six and eight year-old sons, Tyler and Devin, respectively, to bed. But, for some reason, Tyler and his older brother choose to sleep in the same bed. When asked why, Devin falls to tears, afraid to tell his mother.

“The Bogeyman,” Tyler tells her, speaking up for his older brother.

Like most children have at some point of their adolescence, Devin has been having nightmares about the Bogeyman. Mary comforts the boys, telling them it was just a dream and the Bogeyman isn’t real. Because of course it’s not. But that’s when Devin says that “darndest thing” – “He said he’s coming tonight.”

The comment seems to bother Mary as she talks about it over the phone with her boyfriend, Luke. He tells her there’s nothing to worry about, to which Mary reluctantly agrees – “Yeah, you’re right. I’m probably just overreacting.”

But later in the night, as Mary makes her way to bed, her doorbell rings… followed by four slow knocks at the door. This, indeed, turns out to be the Bogeyman – at least he knocked, right?

In what plays out like a cat-and-mouse home-invasion film, the Bogeyman has one unsettling request – “Give me one… or I’ll take them both.” Refusing to accept the “Sophie’s Choice”-option given to her, she decides to try and fend off the Bogeyman. But she makes some very bad decisions in the process, those moments that make audience members yell, “What the F are you doing?!” at the screen. This ends up resulting in the gruesome demise of the whole family.

Although it sounds like I just spoiled the ending for everyone, I assure you, it’s only just the beginning. And to see exactly what I mean, you’ll have to check it out for yourself. But I will say that it’s at this point that the story takes all these familiar horror tropes and uses them to create something truly unique and original. I especially came away impressed with how our protagonist, Mary, learns from her earlier mistakes (that so many horror characters tend to make). And, yes, I know I said she met her demise. But, again, read it for yourself. It’s soooo worth checking out.

This is the type of film I can see raking in some serious views on Youtube, Vimeo and maybe even Shudder, who I know lists short films from time to time. Atmospheric and suspenseful with some truly terrifying visuals and a gut-punch of an ending, “Here Comes the Bogeyman” is what nightmares are made of.

BUDGET: Low. One location (a house) and a cast of five (two child actors). This will require some blood, makeup and practical effects (or special effects, depending on how the filmmaker sees it).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Zack Akers has been writing screenplays since 2005, accumulating over 25 horror shorts with a handful of them having been produced. A true fan of the horror genre, Zack’s goal is simple – to scare the audience. Right now, Zack is collaborating with several talented filmmakers on some very exciting projects. So be on the lookout for some of his work! He can be reached at: zack.akers.89 (a) gmail

Read: Here Comes The Bogeyman (23 page short horror script in pdf format

^*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.

Check out his site – Rian-Johnson.com

Knives Out – undated, unspecified ‘screen script’ draft script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death. 

Information courtesy of imdb.com
Brick – undated shooting script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

Brendon is a loner investigating the death of his ex girlfriend Emily. The police are making no progress, so he enlists The Brain to catch the killer. Uncovering Emily’s dubious friends they meet femme fa-tale Nora Zehetner.

Information courtesy of imdb.com
The Brothers Bloom – undated, original shooting script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they’ve decided to take on one last job – showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

Rian wrote, It was originaly called “Penelope,” a name I still prefer, but we had to change the title when another film beat us to it. This is the original shooting script, and bears some differences from the finished film. The most obvious of these are in the final act, although tonally I think the script in general is a bit darker and more melancholy than what came out on the screen.

Information courtesy of imdb.com
Looper – undated, unspecified 3.2 draft script by Rian Johnson – hosted by: rcjohnso – in pdf format

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ by transporting back Joe’s future self.

Information courtesy of imdb
You can find more scripts on the Movie Scripts page and the Scripts Studios are posting for Award Consideration page.

RELIVE (7 page short horror script) by Luke Anthony Walker

While rushing to the hospital, Ben and his pregnant wife, Anna, accidentally injure a mysterious woman with their car. When they try to help her, the night takes a very bizarre turn for the worst.

“Be careful who you help…”

We’ve all been there – whether in a rush or running late for an appointment, we’ve all, at some point, exceeded the speed limit to get somewhere quicker. But there are consequences to driving too fast sometimes: speeding tickets, traffic violations, minor fender-benders… and sometimes, much, much worse.

Driving past the speed limit is rarely warranted but, for Ben and Anna, it’s necessary, in Luke Anthony Walker’s twisty mind-bender, “Relive”.

We’re taken to a dark, desolate road in the middle of the night as Ben drives his very pregnant wife, Anna, to the hospital. With time of the essence and no other cars in sight, Ben keeps the pedal to the metal as they get closer to their destination.

Playing soothing classical music to calm Anna’s nerves, they’re not too far now. But that’s when the proverbial poop hits the fan…

A WOMAN caked in mud, with long, sodden hair covering her face and wearing nothing but a dressing gown, suddenly appears in the middle of the road with her hand held out, gesturing for the car to stop.

Ben slams on the brakes, jolting the couple forward. The car comes to a screeching halt, but still hits the woman, knocking her to the ground and out of sight.

Who is this woman? And what was she doing in the middle of the road… in the middle of the night… in the middle of nowhere?

Ben isn’t sure what to do – Call the cops? Wait for help? But, with his wife’s contractions getting stronger and more painful, Ben doesn’t have much time to act. So, he does what any good person would do – he helps the injured woman.

Already in a hurry to the hospital anyway, Ben loads the mysterious, unconscious stranger into their car – two birds, one stone, right?

But, as if having a baby wasn’t nerve-racking enough, they now face some pretty grim circumstances, unsure if the injured woman is even alive. Already at wits end, things seem like they couldn’t get any worse…

But they do.

Ben attempts to comfort Anna, his attention switching between her and the road ahead.

Unseen by them both, the woman sits up straight, her long hair dangling across her face.

She raises her hand and points toward the road ahead.

            WOMAN
     (shrieking)
Stop!

The car careens off the road and crashes straight into a tree at the bottom of a ditch.

And this is when things start to get really bizarre.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I will say that the way Luke’s story unravels is one hell a trip. It draws comparisons to films such as the criminally underrated Mexican film, “The Incident”, and the also very-underrated cruise-ship horror flick, “Triangle”.

“Relive” is a creative, mind-bending read that would be a terrific notch on any filmmaker’s belt. And it would be one hell of a ride (pun intended) for its viewing audience.

BUDGET: Moderate. The car accident scenes can be executed well on a low-budget with some clever editing – no need to total a car. As for the stag in the story, that can easily be replaced with another, cheaper obstacle (the injured woman can just yank on the wheel).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Luke Walker, a part-time stay at home Dad to two young Padawans, is a self taught, award-winning horror screenwriter from Bristol, England. He’s best knownfor his short film ‘Paralysis’, screened at Macabro: Mexico City International Horror Film Festival. And for short script ‘Rose’, winner of ‘Lets Make It! Screenwriting Contest / Antic Horror – International Short Screenplay Contest / 13 Horror.com Film and Screenplay Contest. Luke can be reached at luke.ewoods (a) googlemail.com

Read:RELIVE (7 page short horror script)

^*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.

Two Psychos (15 pages in pdf format) by P.H. Cook

A newbie serial killer learns a lot from his new found master

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Over on the Original Scripts page there are eight (!) original scripts for your reading pleasure.

I guess everyone is working on their scripts for the March 2020 Challenge which are due April 20th.

– Don

We meet JAKE KELLY and SEAN BARRY, two bumbling wannabe bank robbers peeling down a lonely country road, one of them with a bullet wound sustained at the hand of the other. You guessed it, things have not gone according to plan. In fact they’ve gone quite a bit pear shaped.

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THE MAN IN THE WOODS (8 page short horror script) by Luke McCain

Things take a truly terrifying turn when a man burying his wife in the woods crosses paths with a lost stranger.

Nothing good ever happens in the middle of the woods, at least not in horror movies. This couldn’t be any truer in Luke McCain’s chilling new short horror script, “The Man in the Woods”, which is currently available for production.

“The Man”, or at least one of them, in Luke’s story is William Hobsmire, a rugged, scraggly bearded 1800’s woodsman. The story takes place in the woods and this is, indeed, a horror story. So it’s safe to say that William is probably doing something he doesn’t want to get caught doing. In this case, burying his dead wife – who he does, at one point, admit to murdering.

After dumping his wife’s cold body into the makeshift grave, William soon finds out that getting away with murder isn’t so easy…

Suddenly, a voice from far in the distance calls out through the trees –

            VOICE
     (Far away)
Helloooo!

IN THE DISTANCE – A hazy figure: A MAN. He waves his hand in the air.

            MAN
     (Far away)
Hellooooo!!

Their encounter is friendly enough at first, the man merely a lost traveler looking for a point into the right direction. But despite William’s efforts to cover things up, the man can’t help but sense something a little off, to say the least.

            MAN
…Is that a grave?

William wipes a bead of sweat from his eye.

            WILLIAM
Ah – Indeed it is. You caught
me burying my dog. Due south
is that way.

The curious stranger continues to ask questions after noticing a pair of women’s boots near the makeshift grave:

            WILLIAM
Those are my wife’s. She’s
gone to pick a bouquet of flowers
for the headstone.

            MAN
Your wife went to pick a
bouquet of flowers in the
woods… with bare feet?

Sensing that the lost stranger is onto him, William is left with no choice…

I’ll stop right there as to not spoil the story for you any further. But it’s at this point where things take a truly terrifying, unexpected turn. Why did William murder his wife? Who is this stranger really and where did he come from? You’ll have to read the rest of it yourself to find out. And trust me, you’ll have a great time doing it.

BUDGET: Shoe string. All you need is the woods, 4 actors and a little makeup. Costumes should be a piece of cake.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Luke McCain is a writer / director based in San Diego, California. He owns and operates Pure Cinema – a commercial production company working with brands such as Google, Netflix, NFL, Chevy and many more. As a writer and filmmaker, Luke’s style is influenced by art house horror, blending odd stories with visceral imagery. His films often find characters in morbid or distressed situations, unfolding with uniquely dark twists. Luke can be reached at luke (a) purecinema.tv

Read: The Man In The Woods (8 page short horror script)

^*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.

Over on the Original Scripts page are eighteen scripts for your reading pleasure.

Stop by and read a script or maybe contibute your story to The Journal of the Plague Year.

There are three weeks left in the 7 Week Feature Challenge.

– Don

Dialled Up (7 page short horror script in pdf format) by Matthew Taylor

A grieving old man tries to hold off the bailiffs in order to answer one last call.

What would you do if you could go back in time? Would you right an old wrong? Go left where you once went right? Or maybe just take a moment to say I love you to someone who needs to hear it most. It’s a hard choice to make. Now, what if that same opportunity presented itself every single day?

Every single day. Same time. For 43 years.

That’s what happens with Frank, a man beaten down by life and on the verge of eviction. Perhaps he’s gone a touch mad, too, alone in that small apartment with the faded wallpaper and sickly green rotary phone. Yet, there’s one thing that keeps him waking up every day. A phone call he knows is going to come. A call he must take, and answer correctly. For if he answers incorrectly, his son dies. Again, and again.

Somehow, some way, that’s exactly the situation he’s in. The year is 1977 and an impatient Frank waits, anxious, wanting to know where his car has gone. But he knows the answer already. It’s Andy, his son. Always Andy, it seems. He took the car again, didn’t bother to ask permission, and now it’s getting on 3:00 and nary a peep has been heard.

That’s when the phone rings. That sickly green rotary phone you’ll see throughout this expertly crafted story. Frank’s anger boils to the surface as Andy tries to explain where he’s been. But Frank’s not having it. Not this time. He slams the phone down, maybe like he’s done a hundred times before. Beyond frustrated and so done.

If Frank had only known he would never see Andy alive again, he might have been inclined to take it a little easier on his son.

An accident has claimed Andy’s life, setting in motion a grim daily routine that will last for years and years. By some miracle that stretches the fabric of existence, Andy calls again nine days later. It’s the same call. He’s still late and he still has the car. At first Frank thinks it’s a sick joke, but as time goes by –call after call — he realizes it’s not. This is real. Somehow, it’s real.

Armed with that new knowledge, a curious question is asked…

What if he can stop it? What if Frank can save Andy’s life by saying something different this time? Telling him to make a left instead of a right. Or maybe just by saying I love you.

Maybe there’s a way. Besides, Frank only has the next 43 years to get it right.

Producer/Director: With Dialled Up, Matthew Taylor has crafted a powerful, easy to film 7 page story – one actor, one location, and enough emotion to fill the movie poster with laurels. It’s available to the right director. You can reach Matthew at Scripts.By.MT(a)gmail.com

Read: Dialled Up (7 page short horror script in pdf format)

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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