Trust Me by P.H. Cook

Without parents to protect her, a little girl trusts a police officer for help.

Children are such vulnerable creatures. In a perfect world, it’s the parent’s, and/or their extended family’s job to protect and nurture them. But as we well know, the world isn’t a perfect place. Occasionally a child is left alone, their safety dependent on the kindness of strangers.

Five-year-old, Emma is one of those children. We first see her walking down the street, hand in hand with Joe (30), both in tattered clothes. She tells him she’s hungry. As they head toward a burger joint, Joe tells her not to speak to anyone. Keeping to themselves, neither realizes they’re being followed.

Obviously, something isn’t right here. Naturally we’re nervous for Emma. She asks Joe, “Am I gonna go home soon?”. Through binoculars, Warren watches their every move. When Emma gets up to go to the restroom, Warren grabs his badge and gun and enters the restaurant. We’re relieved. Warren must be there to save Emma, right?

“Trust Me”, is a suspenseful short story that will keep you wondering who is good, and who is bad. You’ll be invested in the outcome, just wanting Emma to be okay… but sometimes the world isn’t a perfect place.

This short is very low budget and would make a great project for first time filmmakers. I don’t think this gem will be available for long, so act quickly!

About the writer: Born and raised in Sweden, P.H. Cook is director of the short film Them That’s Dead and writer of produced feature films Finders Keepers: The Root of All Evil and Blackout. She started writing screenplays in 2006 and has written over sixty short screenplays and ten features. She can be reached at gatortales – “AT” – gmail.

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About the Reviewer: Marnie Mitchell-Lister has creative A.D.D. Some of her writing can be read here: BrainFluffs.com. Some of her photography can be seen here: marnzart.wordpress.com.

GERIATRICKS (13 page comedy script) by Mark Renshaw

On a whim and in need of healthcare, a group of geriatrics attempt a bank heist. With no experience, no clue and no bowel control, their chances are slim, especially when they encounter an off-duty cop.

Hey, all you young whippersnappers out there! I’m sure you’ve all heard this before – always respect your elders. They’ve seen it all and done it all, collecting years of wisdom and experience we can only be so lucky to accrue if we’re fortunate to live that long. They’ve helped shape the world, molding us into the responsible, respectful adults that we are today. And as the cruel aging process takes its toll, we feel it’s only right that we help them with the everyday things that they’re no longer able to do on their own – helping them cross the street, open jars, lift heavy things, etc.

But it’s because of this that we sometimes tend to underestimate them a bit. And that’s exactly what the small town folks at a local bank find out in Mark Renshaw’s hilarious ode to the elderly, “Geriatricks”, about a gang of geriatric bank robbers pulling off one, final job.

The story opens with cute, old Mister Jay as he shuffles over to the bank teller, Daisy, to make a withdrawal.

Mister J passes her a slip of paper. She reads it, raises an eyebrow

            DAISY
Are you for real?

Mister J nods.

            DAISY
Fifties and hundreds?

Mister J nods again, he places a backpack on the counter.

            DAISY
How old are you?

She thinks its a joke – until the sweet old man reveals a micro 9mm handgun.

But Mister Jay has a slight issue – he has trouble remembering things, often forgetting where he is and why he has a gun. Luckily, he’s not alone – meet Miss B, the foul-mouthed, shotgun-toting enforcer of the group with bowel control problems; Casanova, the ladies man guarding the door; and then there’s the lookout guy, Eagle Eye, who, ironically, happens to be going blind.

All members of this ragtag group have one thing in common (outside of being 80+ years old) – they need money. And boy, do they mean business.

But, despite the guns, their manners haven’t escaped them, making the bank robbery somewhat of a cute and pleasant experience for everybody in the bank, including an off-duty police officer, who tries to talk some sense into the elderly bandits.

            COP
What are you doing robbing a
bank at your age?

She hobbles over to Mister J who’s completely lost and pats his arm.

            MISS B
Exactly. Our age. We’re broken
and don’t have the cash for
repairs. He needs drugs for his
Alzheimer’s, I need back surgery,
Eagle Eye needs to pay off the
loan he took out for his guide dog.

As their plan breaks down, Miss B and her gang of senior citizens capture the hearts of everybody witnessing the robbery, including the off-duty cop and bank teller, Daisy.

            DAISY
Who here thinks we should pretend
none of this happened?

Everyone raises their hand.

            COP
Gosh darn it! Okay!

But as the title suggests, these senior citizens might have an ace or two up their sleeves…

A cross of “Grumpy Old Men” meets “Ocean’s 11”, Mark Renshaw’s “Geriatricks” is a cleverly written knee-slapper full of hilarious dialogue, lovable characters and, something that too many films are missing these days… heart. This deserves to be on the screen!

BUDGET: Low. One location.

ABOUT THE WRITER: by Mark Renshaw is an award-winning screenwriter and producer, his sci-fi TV pilot script “Nearscape” reaching the semifinals of the prestigious Page Awards and 2nd round of the Austin Film Festival. His short script, “Cyborn” was the inaugural winner of the Inroads Screenwriting Competition. Reaching the top 4% of the BBC’s Open Drama Submission, Mark has also been added to their list of promising writers. As a producer, his first two short films, “No More Tomorrows” and “Surrender” have enjoyed successful runs on the independent circuit, garnering several awards. His latest sci-fi short, “The Survivor: A Tale From the Nearscape”, which he wrote and produced, currently has a worldwide distribution deal with Meridian Releasing, also serving as a proof of concept for a TV series. Mark has also had several short stories published, including “Ragnarok” by Cohesion Press in the horror anthology, “SNAFU: Resurrection”. You can watch check out Mark’s produced films and scripts on his website at www.mark-renshaw.com.

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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.

Not My Son by Glenn Doyle

After the death of her husband, a mother is convinced her son has been replaced after an accident leaves him paralyzed.

Nothing tests the human spirit like the loss of a loved one.

Martha’s just lost her husband. But life doesn’t wait for gaping hearts to heal. There’s bills to pay, a house to clean. And, thankfully, her son Sean. Her stalwart against the storm.

Then tragedy strikes again — Sean sprawled out, motionless, beneath his favorite climbing tree.

Everything happening in a blur.

Martha pacing hospital corridors, Doctors offering condolences, her only son slumped in a wheelchair.

How could this be? Her son, lifeless, unrecognizable. Her Sean could run and smile and light up a room. Her Sean didn’t need food shoveled in his mouth. No, this thing is not her son.

But the Doctors won’t listen. They tell her she’s not thinking clearly. She needs rest, and pills.

If only she could stop the squirming thoughts in her brain. Then a solution arrives. In the form of a mysterious woman, dressed in all black, with a very important message:

            THE DARK LADY
     (loud whisper)
It is not your child. Kill it.

Is this a case of a fragile mind broken? Or are there forces at work beyond our comprehension? Time is running out for Martha to make a decision. One that could have devastating consequences for everyone involved.

Production: One adult female, one male child, and a few extras. A house, a front/back yard, a sidewalk, maybe one other interior location.

About the writer: Glenn Doyle is a 27 year old from Dublin, Ireland. He grew up writing short stories and studied film at Dublin Business School. To date, he’s written close to twenty shorts and one feature. You can check out his IMDB page here.

About the reviewer: James Barron is a former law student turned screenwriter who loves to write comedy along with the occasional horror/thriller. Contact James at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

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Damned Yankee (26 pages in pdf format) by Cindy L. Keller

George just arrived in Songless.  And he’s got a tune to wake the dead…

Any scriptwriter worth their salt knows that the last ten years or so has seen a massive resurgence in the undead and all things zombie. Huge blockbusters like the recent World War Z have taken the box office by storm proving that there is still plenty of life in the ravenous flesh-eaters.

A point given further credence when considering the phenomenal success of TV’s The Walking Dead. The show is an international smash with millions of viewers tuning in each week to see Rick and his cohorts trying to survive a terrifying zombie outbreak where the only thing on the menu is them.

Given the rising popularity of these brain-hungry creatures it’s hardly surprising that there are probably as many scripts floating around as there are dead bodies in a zombie apocalypse.

Invariably, the inflicted end up as cannibalistic corpses due to a mysterious virus or lab experiment gone wrong.

So it’s particularly refreshing to see talented writer Cindy L. Keller breathe new life into the undead with her own unique take on the genre with her script Damned Yankee.

Our story begins when New Yorker, George Davidson’s rental car breaks down on the outskirts of Songless, a deathly quiet town in the Deep South. We think little of it until we discover that George is a country singer en route to Nashville – talk about irony!

George and his guitar take shelter from the sweltering heat under a tree where he encounters a mysterious dancing girl who likes to dance to the sound of silence! George attempts to make conversation, but the terrified girl runs off into the woods.

Fortunately, help soon arrives by way of wiry old hillbilly Phil Basher. Phil is the town’s chief peacemaker who not only has a strong dislike for “Yankees” like George, he also takes his job seriously… very seriously! So much so, that he refuses to allow George to play a single note on his beloved guitar and growls “You’ll raise the dead with that racket!”

They head off into town together and tensions soon rise between them. Phil eventually confides in George that the town is cursed, hence the reason why all types of music including singing are strictly prohibited. A statement borne out by the grizzly sight of hundreds of dead birds culled to prevent them from making so much as a peep.

But it’s too late! Modern technology intervenes and thanks to George’s ringtone all hell is about to break loose! Worse still, Phil has a much darker side to him as George is about to discover to his dismay.

Will George survive Phil and the undead hordes or are he and his musical career truly dead and buried?

Budget: low to moderate. A handful of characters (mostly non-speaking). A couple of vehicles. A few locations: Woods/House/Service Station/Cemetery and that’s pretty much it!

About the writer: Cindy L. Keller When asked where her inspiration comes from, Cindy will tell you that she was brought up in a small town. A town whose movie theater played Double Features on Saturday afternoons. Many of those being Horror double features. She loves the old horror classics. Movies like Dracula, Creature, The Mummy, and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Horror without all the blood and guts, and she strives to incorporate that notion within her own writing.

Cindy is an award-winning screenwriter. She’s been a finalist at Page, finalist at Gimme Credit, Sixth place winner at American Gem, and the winner of Hellfire’s Short Horror Contest.

She has had two shorts produced, and has more shorts and features available for production. Cindy can be reached at skyburg “AT” hotmail

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About the reviewer: Gary “Rolo” Rowlands cut his teeth writing sketch comedy for the hugely popular Spitting Image – a show broadcast on national television in the UK. He has since gone on to write several high-concept features and can be contacted at gazrow at Hotmail dot com.

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are the twenty two original scripts of the Journal of the Plague Year One week challenge. Most of these scripts are easily film-able with minimal sets and characters.

– Don

OUT OF ORDER (7 page short horror script) by Luke Walker

A night at the local multiplexturns into a nightmare for a middle-aged man with a dark past who learns that being sorry doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be forgiven.

After months of social distancing, I really, really miss going to the movies. Sure, it’s nice to curl up on the couch and take in a flick on the tube, but nothing beats the movie theater experience. There’s something about the smell of popcorn in the air, the movie posters hanging on the wall, the red carpeting, the previews and that feeling you get when the movie’s about to start and the curtains in front of the screen open up – it just feels like an event. It feels special.

However, there are some things that I don’t miss. For one, the people. I’m not talking about ALL of them – part of what makes the movie-going experience so fun is the crowd reaction. But, once in a while, there’s that one person in the crowd that disrupts the experience for everybody. You know who I’m talking about. There’s the Chatty Cathy in the crowd giving play-by-play commentary. Then there’s that couple who brings their rambunctious children with them (turn off your baby!). And then, there’s that one guy who falls asleep and snores the whole time…

In Luke Walker’s creepy fever dream, Out of Order, Eddy, an overweight, middle-aged schlub, IS that one guy.

The story takes place at a local cinema, where Eddy comes to see a movie solo. After pigging out on movie theater snacks well before the flick even starts, Eddy falls victim to the comfy stadium seating and dozes off. After spilling soda onto his crotch, he wakes up to realize that he’s the only one there, the movie he paid a ticket for long over.

If you’ve ever been to a movie theater alone with nobody else there, you know just how creepy it can be. Butit isn’t until Eddy heads to the bathroom to clean himself up that things start to get REALLY creepy.

As Eddy has his wet crotch under a hand dryer, he hears something from a nearby stall with a handwritten out-of-order sign hanging up on the door…

After the sign falls off the door on its own, nasty sewer sludge comes flooding out from under the door, hitting Eddy’s feet. Disgusted, Eddy picks up the out-of-order sign and reads something on the back of it that sends chills down his spine…

And that’s when the nightmare officially begins.

Eddy realizes that he’s not alone after the bathroom stall door opens and lanky, ghastly man dressed as a surgeon (mask, rubber gloves, full regalia) reveals himself. With crazed, bloodshot eyes, this demented surgeon doesn’t seem very happy with Eddy. In fact, it’s safe to assume that he wants to hurt the pudgy loner… really, really badly.

I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say things get stranger and more terrifying for Eddy as the night goes on. Imagine “Inception”, but instead of a dream within a dream, it’s a nightmare within a nightmare… within a nightmare. But why is this happening to Eddy? What did he see on the back of that out-of-order sign? You’ll have to read for yourself to find out.

What I loved most about this script was that it had that midnight movie kinda vibe to it. I felt like I was actually at the movies again, I could almost smell the popcorn.

Packed with solid scares and horrifying imagery, Out of Order is a horror tale that will make you feel like you’re at the movies again. Any filmmaker who’s a true movie fan AND horror fan, will appreciate this one.

BUDGET: Relatively low – if you can convince your local cinema to let you use the location, it might save you a few bucks. But it’s all one location, three actors and a few extras.

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

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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.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM (10 page short sci-fi script) by James Austin McCormick

A dead soldier follows the light at the end of the tunnel, but discovers his own personal afterlife is nothing he could have imagined.

Imagine, for a second, a world (or universe) in which democracy has completely collapsed and evil, amoral corporations have seized supreme political control, overtaking government, controlling our economy, military and even us, as people. What’s that? We don’t have to imagine it at all? It’s happening now?

I’ll stay away from any political rants, but it’s no secret just how much corporations influence our government, our economy and us, as people, and our everyday lives. But what if these corporations controlled us… even after we’re dead?

That’s what author, James Austin McCormick, explores in his “Outer Limits”-esque sci-fi tale, Perchance to Dream.

It all takes place in the very distant future, where corporations reign supreme and are at war with each other, duking it out over the solar system’s resources. It’s also a future where DNA replication and gene patenting is regulated by one corporation in particular. Think of the way Monsanto was able to alter crop DNA and then essentially own it in perpetuity, thus monopolizing America’s agricultural market with its genetically modified seeds. Well, the corporation in Perchance to Dream is kinda the same thing, but with human DNA.

The story opens with battered and bloodied soldier, Captain Eli Jaxon, moving towards a light at the end of a tunnel. As he reaches the light, he finds himself in an office where he’s greeted by a nerdy, bespectacled clerk sitting behind a desk.

All Jaxon remembers is being on the battlefield, where an enemy shell exploded, decimating him and his troop. Next thing he knew, he was walking down a dark tunnel, towards a light.

“Am I dead?” Jackson asks.

            CLERK
Well, at this precise moment your
body lays broken and bloodied on
the Martian battlefield, just outside
Olympus Mons. Both heart and respiratory
functions have ceased. Already brain
cells are dying.

He taps his temple.

            CLERK
Your higher cognitive functions have
ceased, but your consciousness has
been saved. That now resides inside
this virtual environment.

            JAXON
Okay, now I’m beginning to catch on.
That damn chip in my head.

It’s actually a crystal embedded in Jaxon’s central cortex, the clerk clarifies.

During this office meeting inside of Jaxon’s subconscious, the clerk then discusses some paperwork that had previously been signed by Jaxon.

            CLERK (CON’T)
Now, it says in your contract that
if you’re to die during active duty
then a substantial payment is to be
made to your family.

Unfortunately for Jaxon and the family that he’s survived by, there’s a sub clause in the contract that threatens payment – leaving his wife and kid, back on Earth, no longer entitled to compensation despite Jaxon being blown to bits over this corporation’s war.

There is, however, a way to make things right – to sign a new contract. By signing it, not only will his family be compensated, but he will be brought back to life to specifically complete his mission so that the corporation he’s fighting for can prevail. But, by signing that contract, he may be signing away much more than he had intended.

In Perchance to Dream, McCormick explores themes of power, lack of it and how individuals can become enslaved through gene patenting while also touching on what it means to be human… and whether or not that human side can truly be replicated.

BUDGET: Low. There aren’t any action set pieces here, really. It’s essentially two main characters and two locations – an office and a larger room that can be made to look like the inside of an army base.

ABOUT THE WRITER: James Austin McCormick is a college lecturer and compulsive writer of speculative fiction with many short stories published in various anthologies along with novellas and novels published with Class Act Books. As a screenwriter, James has consistently placed high in international competitions and, along with a co-author, has had three feature-length horror scripts optioned by K5 films. With a long list of short-length scripts, James also collaborated with talented writer, Annabel Grace, on the produced short, In the Silence. You can find his works on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. James can be reached at: jimbostories (a) hotmail.

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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.

Course Listing Unavailable (14 page short horror in pdf format) by James Barron

An ambitious student signs up for an internship program promising real world, hands-on experience. Who knew bloodthirsty demons would be involved?

For today’s youth, the challenge of getting a good job has never been tougher. Many are determined to do anything that will enhance their resumes in the eyes of employers. Taking “useful” classes, getting internships, and doing extra-curricular activities are just a few examples of what diligent individuals do to spruce up that valuable sheet of paper.

The protagonist in Course Listing Unavailable, 17-year-old Gortat Emmanuel, is just another determined Ivy League freshman with a whiff of intelligent innocence about him. A mix-up in paying the tuition has meant he’s one class short of the minimum semester credit, and so he sees a counselor to get into a subject that appeals to him.

But every time the counselor enters the course he wants, there’s a problem.

Organic Chemistry? Unavailable. Biology? Unavailable. Ecology? Yup… unavailable. As a last resort, the advisor offers Gortat a chance for some real world experience: a month shadowing a service professional. Because the last guy who did it dropped out.

That’s all the information available. Apart from a name: Mr Shephard. Despite this, Gortat accepts, still eager to learn. And so on his first day, he’s dressed up as if he’s the President attending their inauguration.

However, Gortat’s destination isn’t as beautiful as the White House. Unless you’re into dilapidated buildings and tales of wasted lives in needle format littering the ground.

And the professional isn’t some smarmy doctor. Turning up in a classic American muscle with uninviting objects abundantly decorating the interior, Max Shephard invites Gortat in for his “education”. There’s no textbooks. No worksheets either. There’s only one rule, and it ain’t a typical one:

            Max
…no matter what happens
you will not puke in this car.

This may sound easy enough to obey until Max’s profession is revealed…demon hunter. Not quite what our Ivy League kid was expecting. In addition, it transpires that the supposed dropout dropped out of life…unwillingly. Oh, and for his first day on the job, he’s got to complete a practical helping Max eradicate the beast responsible for failing the previous student. Turns out “real world experience” means “other world experience” in this case.

Will Gortat pass his practical? Will he break the one rule? Will he even survive? Only one thing’s assured: direct this one well, and judges at film festivals will be giving you full marks!

Budget: Okay, there’s a bit of FX involved in here. But nothing a skilled director can’t – and won’t want to – tackle!

About the writer: James loves to write comedy and action along with the occasional horror short. You can reach him at jbarron021 (a) gmail.

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About the reviewer: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp (a) gmail. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.

TEDDY BEAR (16 page drama short) Written by Anthony Cawood

An elderly immigrant moves to a new home on a quiet, suburban street. Will it be different this time or will he suffer the small minded bigotry that has dogged his entire life?

We teach our children all kinds of important lessons when they’re young. You know the basics; look both ways before crossing the street, do unto others others as you expect they should do unto you, always wash your hands before you eat, etc, etc.

As obvious as these nuggets of wisdom are, they are important lessons to teach the people of tomorrow, as many of these lessons carry over into adulthood. But there are some lessons that seem to strictly apply to children due to their innocence, naivety and vulnerability. The most common being, “don’t talk to strangers”. I’m a firm believer that most people are good-natured at heart and wish no harm on others, especially children. But, unfortunately, there are some sick individuals out there who DO wish harm and DO have ill intentions towards our kids. And it’s very important that, as parents, we monitor them and protect them from the evils of the world.

But, as parents, sometimes we can be a little OVER protective. And we tend to forget some of those basic lessons that we once learned when we were kids, ourselves. One of those being, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. And that seems to be the lesson Anthony Cawood is trying to teach us in his grim morality tale, “Teddy Bear”.

The story opens as a milk man (I’m old enough to remember when they used to be a thing) makes his rounds through a suburban neighborhood when something catches his eye at bungalow #7 – an old, crusty, stuffed teddy bear hanging from the porch.

Cut to a neighborhood meeting of sorts where local residents, Janet, Devon, Holly and Pat, discuss their concerns over their new neighbor at bungalow #7. A few of them have children of their own and are very, very suspicious of their new neighbor – particularly due to that teddy bear he has hanging on his porch, which just screams “pedophile”. But then they raise other, more immature, concerns – some of them put off by the fact that their new neighbor may also be a foreigner.

Pat decides to put all this prejudice to rest and introduces herself to the new, elderly resident. As she’s gone, the others are already worried that something happened to her. But, of course, Pat returns unharmed to report that their new neighbor, Alfred, isn’t anything like they think he is.

            PAT
He’s a lovely old man, polite, well
mannered, speaks better English
than John and moved here for peace
and quiet.

The others still seem a bit skeptical despite Pat’s glowing report. So much so that they warn their children never to go near bungalow #7.

Despite the warning, Janet’s seven-year-old son, Benjamin, retrieves a ball that he lost while playing with Devon’s six-year-old daughter, Ebony. The ball, of course, ending up in Alfred’s yard. And that’s when little Benjamin meets Alfred face to face.

            ALFRED
Oh, hello there and who might you
be?

Alfred tries again, enunciating.

            ALFRED
Who, are, you?

Intimidated at first, Ben seems to warm up to the kind old man. Well, at least he believes he’s kind. And when Alfred offers him a snack, Ben accepts – which seems to go against another lesson we were taught as children – “Don’t take candy from strangers”.

But when Ebony alert’s Janet of her son’s whereabouts, she springs to action and hurries to her son’s rescue. And what happens next is an unfortunate series of misunderstandings that build towards a very grim conclusion.

BUDGET: Shoestring. Pretty much one or two locations and some actors. Oh, and a teddy bear.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Anthony Cawood is an award-winning screenwriter with one feature produced and a further four features optioned or in pre-production. In addition to features, he has over forty short scripts produced/sold/optioned – including ten filmed. Also occasionally pens screenwriting articles, interviews with writers and filmmakers, and even a short story or two. He can be reached on his website AnthonyCawood.co.uk.

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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.