THE OZARK
Written by Chase Smell

INT. OLD TRUCK – DAY

We open onto a hard cut after the opening titles, the cinematography portrays the “ride-along” feel, the driver is a middle-aged man, bearded, and wears a jean jacket. He is rugged; he seems to be poor by the shape he’s in, which is thin, but somewhat muscular. Call him WOODS. Woods is smoking a cigarette, puffing on it while it dangles from his lip. 

He pulls off onto a dirt road next to a farmhouse and the truck comes to a stop.

Subtitle reads above the truck as we pan out.
“OZARK REGION”

EXT. OUTSIDE OF FARMHOUSE – DAY

Woods climbs out of the truck and begins walking down a path towards the house, a path in which has stacks of wood and greenhouses on each side. Then, suddenly as he begins to walk up the steps, we hear the sound of a shotgun being pumped. Woods turns around to see an even older man, fully bearded, with little hair on top of his head; he is wielding a sawed-off pump action shotgun.

OLD MAN (Southern voice)
You have one minute, Woods. One minute, then I is a blow your head clean off.

WOODS (Sigh, also southern)
We both know, old man, you ain’t gonna do it.

Then, the old man fired off the gun into the air with a wry smile on his face. Woods takes the opportunity to open the door and sprint into the house. As Woods’ is doing so, the Old man fires at the door, narrowly missing.

INT. OLD MAN’S HOUSE – DAY

Woods sprints through the small kitchen, and into the dining room, which consists of a large table, a desk computer, and several glass cabinets full of fancy silver wear. Woods hides in the room, and waits for the Old man to come in. He reaches into his back pocket to produce a pistol, and as soon as the man comes into his view he pulls the trigger. Click. Click. The gun is jammed. Woods leaped over the table and tackles the man, throwing several punches, disarming him, the shotgun sliding away. 

But the Old Man has fight in him, and swings his left arm, knocking Woods away with a broken nose.
He rolls over to the weapon and once again, aims it at Woods, who is now leaning up against a file cabinet, and blood covered face. 

OLD MAN
Get up!

Woods looks up into the eyes of the aging soul, then into the barrel of the gun pointed at his face.

OLD MAN (backing up to give him room to stand)
I said get up! Now!

Woods slowly struggles to get up, and stands face to face with the man.
OLD MAN
Now sit at that end of the table. (Gestures towards opposite end of dinner table)

Woods wipes the dripping blood from his nose, and keeping an eye on the gun; he does so and sits at the table. 

OLD MAN
Now…(rests weapon onto table top)…tell me why you’ve decided to break into my house, son.

WOODS
(Ashamed) I needed money Dad…

OLD MAN
Then why the hell didn’t you just ask?

WOODS
Because…you’d wonder what I needed it for…

OLD MAN
Jesus Christ, Woods. You still have a taste for…

WOODS (Suddenly aggravated)
You see…this is exactly why! I don’t need you’re god damn approval! 

OLD MAN
Look at you…bringin’ shame to this family. You disgust me…Why couldn’t you be more like you’re brother?

WOODS (Jumps over table, attacking, and yelling)
Fuck you!

Woods knocks his father back in his chair onto the floor, punching him to weaken his defenses, and then wrapping his dirty and angry hand around his father’s neck, squeezing as hard as he can until…the old man’s arms go limp. Woods looks down into the cold, gray, and lifeless eyes of his father. His mind is corrupt by the very drug that feed his addiction. The score matches the tone and mood of the intense moment, which is fully of regret, shame, anger, and sadness.

Woods lets go of the man’s neck, and starts to stand up when he looks up to see…a small boy. 

WOODS
Carl…

CARL
What’s wrong is grandpa, Uncle Woods?

Woods is now the edge of bursting into tears, but holding back, suddenly remembers the reason why he’s here. He fully ignores the fact that his nephew just witnessed him murder his grandfather and starts into the next room, rummaging through stacks of papers and searching through drawers until he finds a small safe. He picks it up and brings it back into the kitchen, setting it onto the counter. Woods reaches to left of the safe and produces a kitchen knife.
He picks the lock, and eagerly opens it. There is several packs of money inside it, Woods grabs it, and rushes out the door again.

EXT. OUTSIDE OF HOUSE – DAY

Woods packs away the cash into his jacket as he swiftly walks down the steps leading back down the path to his truck. 

INT. WOODS’ TRUCK – LATE AFTERNOON

We are back riding along with Woods in his truck; it is later in the day, almost night. These details are revealed by the streetlights shining into windows and onto his face. 
Woods turns the wheel, pulling into the parking lot of an aged and rusted out gas station. 

EXT. OUTSIDE OF GAS STATION – LATE AFTERNOON

Woods puts the truck in park, and climbs out, walking around back of the gas station. He is met at the corner of the building by a small, younger looking man. He is of Asian descent, closely cut hair, and wearing more modern looking attire. 

DRUG DEALER
What you lookin’ for, man?

WOODS
Crank. (Looks around)

DRUG DEALER
How much?

WOODS
Whatever two grand can get me.

INT. PORTA-POTY – LATE AFTERNOON

Woods quickly shuts the door, locks it and eagerly reaches into his jacket for his stash of meth. He carefully unrolls the baggie, with his finger, putting a little on the tip of it, he snorts it. The scene is meant to fully depict the extent of meth addiction, and how its effect can destroy the mind and the addict’s family.
Woods is suddenly relieved by inhalation, as if all of his problems have been solved, he reaction compares to a mother getting her lost child back, he is so happy. 
He is breathing heavily…

Suddenly, we hear an overlapping sound that leads into the next scene.

INT. WOODS’ APARTMENT – GHETTO – DAY

Woods hears the sirens, quickly searching around for his stashes and several pistols, stolen of course; he is running into the bathroom, beginning to flush the dope down the toilet when…

…a POLICE OFFICER comes up from behind him and grabs him, in a headlock, and dragging him into the main room again.

OFFICER (pressing him against the wall)
What did you do!?!

WOODS
Nothing.
The officer punches Woods so hard in the face that he topples over, crashing onto his old time TV. 

OFFICER
What did you do!?!

WOODS
(Wiping the blood from his nose) I told him not to be judging me.

Drawing his weapon, the aggravated officer seems to be even angrier than before, fully charged, emotionally compromised for an officer of the law.

OFFICER
I should put you down right now. Do the world a favor.

WOODS
Screw you! We both know the old man had it coming.

OFFICER
You killed him…you MURDERED Dad!

The Cop leans down, pressing the barrel of the pistol into his left temple, he is now calm again, and his face shows pure apathy.

WOODS (Pressing it further into his own face)
Do it. Come on. Come on. I want you to do it. Come on, shoot me. Shoot me.

The police officer yells, as if he is about to pull the trigger and put an end to his brother’s miserable life. He knows its righteous. 

WOODS
Shoot me!!

The officer suddenly holsters the pistol, he is an officer of the law, and he can’t murder someone in cold blood.

OFFICER
It’s not that easy, Woods. You’ll have to take the hard way out.

The man backs away from Woods, disappointed. 

Then…several more cops run through the door, hand cuffing Woods, and escorting him out.

EXT. OUTSIDE OF WOODS’ APARTMENT – NIGHT

The police exit the apartment complex and start towards one of the squad cars, the red and blue lights flashing, not an unusual sight for the neighbors of that area. 

Woods is pressed firmly against the car, the cops tighten the handcuffs.

OFFICER 2
Stay. (Commanding)

The two officers begin to turn away when suddenly Wood reaches down the back of his pants to produce a pistol and shoot both cops. He quickly drops the gun and begins to sprint away from the scene when…

…his brother draws his firearm, aims…and FIRES.

Off in the distance, we see Woods drop to the ground.

EXT. PARKING LOT – NIGHT

The brother is now standing over Woods’ body, which is covered in blood; a bullet wound located in his upper chest is drowning the surrounding skin in pools of dark red blood.

He is dead.

The brother leans down…

OFFICER
Why is it always the hard way with you, Jeremy?

He stands once again, and walks away…

END