1. Posted: November 6, 2019In:

    An ex-con trapped in an isolated house with the man who accidentally killed his wife – must pick a side when violent locals reach boiling point following a hit and run.

    thedarkhorse Samurai

    It's the dilemma that interests me...Kill an innocent man or defend a guilty one.In this version, Walt, a recluse, is actually guilty of killing Sam's wife in a car accident.Following this, Sam, a former soldier, his whole life goes off the rails...We first meet Sam after he's done time for accidentRead more

    It’s the dilemma that interests me…

    Kill an innocent man or defend a guilty one.

    In this version, Walt, a recluse, is actually guilty of killing Sam’s wife in a car accident.

    Following this, Sam, a former soldier, his whole life goes off the rails…

    We first meet Sam after he’s done time for accidentally killing an aggressive drunk in a bar fight.

    So… both cases of involuntary manslaughter.?

    Anyways – the structure is the same, Sam is out to potentially kill Walt. He then falls for his protective, loyal sister.

    A hit and run is the inciting incident here…

    In this version, Walt is a far empathetic character – like Sam his whole like devastated and then ruled by a single defining incident. In his case, he can hardly go outside.

    (Again, in this version, both incidents seem to be out of their hands. However – both men carry around a HUGE amount of doubt over what they did.)

    I’m keeping doubt as a theme.

    The death of Sam’s wife was a ripple effect that affected not only those two but the whole town around them.

    Similarly, the hit-and-run is an echo of that event – and creates a similar ripple effect. However, it’s one that escalates and brings out the worst in everyone…

    ?

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  2. Posted: November 5, 2019In:

    An ex-con out to kill the reformed paedophile he believes murdered his child, falls for the man’s protective sister – and must pick a side when town hysteria reaches boiling point.

    thedarkhorse Samurai

    The dilemma: 1. Kill a potentially innocent man. Lose the girl. Go back to prison. His inability to let go of the past wins. Gives into his violence - his worst self. He becomes the villain. (Ironically, he also becomes the town hero.) or 2. Defend a potentially guilty man. Get the girl. Fight a mobRead more

    The dilemma:

    1. Kill a potentially innocent man. Lose the girl. Go back to prison. His inability to let go of the past wins. Gives into his violence – his worst self. He becomes the villain. (Ironically, he also becomes the town hero.)

    or

    2. Defend a potentially guilty man. Get the girl. Fight a mob that includes family and friends. He becomes a hero (though not quite in an Atticus Finch sense). He becomes the least likely avatar of morality among the savagery and civilisation’s worst side. (By association, he becomes as worse as the reformed paedophile and a hated man. So yeah – he’s in trouble too.)

    Themes:
    Doubt. Morality and savagery (what stops us from becoming animals?).
    Change. Forgiveness.

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  3. Posted: November 5, 2019In:

    An ex-con, defending a reformed paedophile from an angry mob ? begins to doubt the man?s innocence.

    Mike Pedley Singularity

    We need to understand the ex-con's motive. I wonder if it would be worth, rather than a reformed paedophile, make him a wrongly accused paedophile. Through the events in the film, we can discover that he was actually let off on a technicality or something and the ex-con discovers that perhaps he didRead more

    We need to understand the ex-con’s motive.

    I wonder if it would be worth, rather than a reformed paedophile, make him a wrongly accused paedophile. Through the events in the film, we can discover that he was actually let off on a technicality or something and the ex-con discovers that perhaps he did do it after all.

    I’m seeing an “Assault on Precinct 13” type film.

    I think you’re right to drop the sister love story. Whilst it’s interesting, I ?don’t think it’s the A-story.

    Can you put this into a more conventional format. Inciting incident, protagonist and goal?

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