Route 75

ROUTE 75
A screenplay by
Maho Hamada

Maho Hamada Route 75
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FADE IN:
EXT. FORMER DOWNTOWN, DETROIT, MICHIGAN- DAY
A grainy veil of brown dust and sand clears up to reveal a half-
demolished skyscraper tilting dangerously. A rhythmic CRUNCH of
gravel cuts through the fluid WHISTLE of the wind. A silhouette
gradually emerges from the shadow of the building. The figure
steps into the sunlight.
BILL HIGGINS, heavily sunburnt face with black long sleeve,
tattered jeans and mangled, dusty hair has a rusty shovel
hoisted over his right shoulder. Bill squints up at the sky. A
bead of sweat curves down the wrinkle around his eyes. Crows are
circling up above.
The shovel’s blade digs into the gravel. It makes a loud SNICK.
Bill swings the shovel down again and again and again. His
sleeve slips down. Bill stops digging to fold it up.
BILL
Dammit.
EXT. FORMER DOWNTOWN, DETROIT, MICHIGAN- DUSK
The hole is now about a meter deep. Beside it, there is a mound
of gravel with the shovel stuck at the top. Bill’s back is
hunched over at a sharp angle. He has a sour grimace on his face.
Bill’s hands are grasped around another pair of feet with
nothing but shriveled up socks on. The body is that of middle
aged man. His face is frozen into a look of surprise. His name
was HUGH.
Bill is dragging Hugh towards the lip of the hole.
INT. STORAGE ROOM, SUPERMARKET, SUBURB- NIGHT
Bill is huddled up in the center of the vast room with a LED
camping lamp propped in front of him. A large map of USA is
spread on the floor. Series of arrows and circles are scribbled
all over the place with the word “CAMP?” written aggressively in
bold red on the top half of the map. Bill is surrounded by
mountains of canned food. They are stacked one on top of the
other to be at least a meter high. In his hands is a patched up
machine that is around the size of a shoebox. The machine emits

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STATIC. Bill opens the outer box of the machine and fumbles with
the wires inside. A man’s voice flows faintly.
MACHINE
…and to…
(voice becomes inaudible)
Bill bites his lower lip and frowns.
MACHINE
…we are…anyone…
Bill folds the box closed and raises it closer to his ear.
MACHINE
I repeat…
A CLATTER from outside the door. Bill raises his head with a
start.
BILL
Who’s there?
Bill places the machine down, pulls out a machete knife from
under his sleeping bag, grabs the LED camping lamp and scrambles
to his feet.
INT. HALLWAY, SUPERMARKET, SUBURB- NIGHT
Bill’s head pokes out into the hallway. Old shopping carts are
scattered across the hallway. Bill raises the lamp higher. A
shadow moves at the far end of the hallway. Bill places the lamp
on the floor and grips the machete with both hands. He advances
forward. Bill takes a deep breath and wields his machete as he
turns the corner. It is a rat. Bill lets out a sigh of relief.
OLIVER (O.S.)
Hello.
BILL
Ah!

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3
Bill turns with a start and swings the machete around. A man
with a youthful face and a wrinkled shirt and tie is standing in
the hallway with a canned tuna and a plastic fork in his hand.
It is OLIVER CAMPBELL.
OLIVER
Calm down, no need to get
all hostile.
BILL
I goddamn do! How did you-
Oliver stabs a chunk of tuna and carries it into his mouth.
BILL (Cont.)
Stop eating. How did you get
in here?
Oliver chews and swallows.
BILL (Cont.)
All the doors are supposed
to be locked.
OLIVER
Ah, that. I just climbed in
through the window.
I was hungry.
BILL
This is my property. Get out.
Now.
Oliver scoffs.
OLIVER
Your property? Dude, that’s
so last year.
Bill raises the machete up to Oliver’s eye level.

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BILL
Get. Out.
Oliver opens his mouth to say something when a SQUAWK and STATIC
echoes from the other end of the hallway. Bill quickly turns his
head toward the noise and dashes away.
OLIVER
(Calling out after Bill)
What the hell is that?
Oliver is surrounded by darkness as Bill picks up the lamp on
the floor and hurries into the other room.
INT. STORAGE ROOM, SUPERMARKET, SUBURB- NIGHT
Bill weaves through the mountain of canned food, carrying the
lamp in one hand and the machete in the other. He props both of
them roughly on the floor and picks up the machine.
MACHINE
We call out to all of those
who are in ground zero. If-
Oliver bumps into one of the mountain of cans and they topple
over with a CRASH.
BILL
Shh!
MACHINE
The borderline will close at
first frost. We advise you
to head north before…
(voice becomes in audible)
BILL
No, come on, you
can do better than that.

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Bill taps the machine but only STATIC is audible. Oliver steps
closer to Bill.
OLIVER
Where did you get that from?
BILL
We made it.
OLIVER
We?
BILL
Doesn’t matter.
Bill shakes the machine. Oliver looks down to see his right foot
stepping on the map. Oliver bends over and picks the map up.
OLIVER
North… So it’s true then?
The Canadians are really
helping us?
Bill raises his head from the machine and frowns at Oliver.
BILL
Canadians?
OLIVER
Rumor has it there’s a survivor’s
camp across the Great Lakes.
Never believed in it until now
though. I just heard it here and
there from different people.
BILL
Canada, eh?
So you’ve met other people?
Where are they?
Oliver shrugs.

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OLIVER
I don’t know. They all disappear
one day, don’t they?
Bill looks down at the machine with a sigh and then back at
Oliver.
BILL
What’s your name, kid?
OLIVER
Oliver Campbell.
Oliver smiles up at Bill.
BILL
Alright, Oliver. It was nice
to meet you.
Bill strides over to a large camping rucksack placed in the
corner of the room. He packs the machete and the machine into it.
He then walks back up to Oliver and extends his hand. Oliver
hesitantly hands the map over to Bill. He folds it up quickly.
Oliver watches with a look of confusion.
OLIVER
What- what are you doing?
BILL
Heading out.
Bill goes back to the center of the room and starts rolling up
the sleeping bag.
OLIVER
But I just came here.
BILL
Yeah?

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OLIVER
Can’t we just stay at least
for the night? I had a long
day, man.
Bill pause his hands and looks up at Oliver.
BILL
What do you mean “we”?
I’m going. You’re staying.
Don’t you want to stay?
OLIVER
Yeah but I thought- well, I
thought you just invited me
to, you know.
BILL
What?
OLIVER
Come along with you.
BILL
Now that’s just stupid,
isn’t it?
EXT. PARKING LOT, SUPERMARKET, SUBURB – NIGHT
Bill and Oliver are pushing a shopping cart full of food and
water across the dark parking lot. They are both carrying a
large camping rucksack over their shoulders.
BILL
I can’t believe you’re still
coming.
OLIVER
Bit exciting, isn’t it?
It’s like we’re going on a
shopping spree across the country!

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BILL
(Mumbles)
Oh gosh.
Oliver grunts and jumps to keep the rucksack strap from sagging
off his shoulder.
OLIVER
Why do you have two of these?
BILL
It’s a friend’s.
OLIVER
Wouldn’t your friend mind
me taking it?
BILL
He’s dead.
Bill picks up his pace.
OLIVER
Oh.
EXT. ROUTE 75, DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DAWN
Bill and Oliver are pushing their carts along a vacant highway.
The surface of the road has multiple cracks and grass sprouting
out of it. Several vehicles are abandoned on the road. Some have
crashed into each other. The horizon is gradually growing pale
orange. Oliver’s cart snags on one of the cracks in the asphalt.
Bill proceeds down the road without looking back.
OLIVER
Bill, wait.
Oliver shoves at the cart. One of the front wheels is stuck in
the crack. Oliver shrugs off the rucksack and bends over. He
places his hands on the underside of the cart and pushes upward.
The cart does not budge.

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OLIVER
A little hand over here?
Oliver gives another shove. This time, the cart falls sideways.
Cans and water bottles go rolling in all directions.
BILL
What the hell are you doing?
Bill sighs and leaves his cart behind to walk back to Oliver.
Oliver sets his cart upright.
OLIVER
I’m sorry man but we’ve been
walking all night. Can’t we take
a break?
Bill picks up several water bottles from the ground and dumps it
into the cart.
BILL
How far do you think it is to
Canada, kid? A few hundred miles
at least.
OLIVER
Well, if you go southward
across the Detroit River and
to Windsor, it’s just about a
mile to the border.
BILL
What?
Bill raises his head and looks at Oliver.
OLIVER
But it’s just as bad over there.
I went there a few months ago.
Besides, the river tunnel collapsed.
And we’re supposed to go north.

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Bill scowls and throws a few more cans into the cart.
BILL
Don’t act smart with me.
Oliver sniggers.
EXT. ROUTE 75, DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DAY
Bill and Oliver are sitting on a patch of grass growing
alongside the highway. There is a small pile of bark and leaves
in front of the two. Bill pulls out a lighter. He sets the pile
on fire and flaps some air at it with his other hand. Smoke
wafts up.
OLIVER
So you’ve been doing this for
quite a while then?
.
BILL
Mmm.
OLIVER
What were you doing when it
happened?
BILL
What was I doing? You mean,
the earthquake?
OLIVER
Yeah. Earthquake or attack
or whatever it was.
Bill pokes the pile of fire with a long tree branch and turns
back to rummage his rucksack.
BILL
I was out drinking with a
friend.
Bill takes out a small can opener and turns back to Oliver.

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BILL (Cont.)
Get me two sauce pans,
will you? It’s in your bag.
Oliver reaches for his own rucksack and pulls out several
clothing before pulling out two small sauce pans. Bill opens one
can of soup and moves on to open the other.
OLIVER
Your friend’s name Harry?
BILL
No. Why?
OLIVER
Just guessin’.
Oliver pulls out a small memo pad from the rucksack. The
initials, H.W. is written on the bottom. Oliver flips open the
cover page. Bill reaches over and snatches it from Oliver. He
flings the memo pad into the fire.
OLIVER (Cont.)
Hey!
The memo pad immediately catches fire and the corners blacken
and crinkle up. Bill pulls out a small barbeque net with legs on
them. He props it over the fire and puts the saucepans on top of
it.
OLIVER
You don’t talk much, do you?
BILL
There’s nothing to talk about.
OLIVER
You wanna know where I was
that day?

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BILL
Not really.
OLIVER
Really?
Bill pours the content in the can into the saucepan.
BILL
No.
OLIVER
Oh come on, Billy. You’re
no fun.
Bill heaves a sigh.
BILL
Look, the only thing I want to
know is how all this happened.
Okay? I don’t give a damned about
who you are or where you were
that day. I just want to know how
I can get out of all this.
Bill mixes the saucepan with a wooden spoon.
BILL (Cont.)
So just shut up, eat and sleep.
A familiar view of the tilted skyscraper emerges. Bill scoops
and throws the pile of gravel into the hole with a shovel.
Hugh’s body lies in the bottom of the hole with his face and
upper body partially covered in gravel. The rhythmic CRUNCH of
the gravel and the shovel gets louder and louder.
EXT. ROUTE 75, DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NIGHT
Bill opens his eyes. He is huddled in a sleeping bag. The fire
is smaller now but enough for Bill to see Oliver sleeping in his

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own sleeping bag. Bill pulls out a flashlight and the radio
machine from his rucksack. He shines the flashlight onto the
radio machine and presses a button. Only STATIC can be heard.
With a sigh, Bill turns off the flashlight.
EXT. ROUTE 75, GRAYLING, MICHIGAN – DAY
Bill and Oliver are back on the road, pushing shopping carts.
The sunlight is strong and the two are sweating profusely.
Oliver looks at the cars scattered across the road. Oliver stops
his foot and stares at a particularly badly burnt carcass of a
car. Bill stops walking as well.
OLIVER
If only we had a car that
works. Imagine going down
this road in a car with a
good air conditioner.
BILL
And a good amount of gas.
OLIVER
Where do you think these
drivers went?
Bill does not answer and starts pushing the cart. Oliver follows
as he wipes his brow.
OLIVER(Cont.)
Well, at least we have plenty
of time until “first frost”.
When exactly is “first frost”
anyway? Is that a Canadian
thing to say?
Bill grunts at Oliver’s comment and swerves his shopping cart
towards the nearest highway exit.
OLIVER(Cont.)
Where are you going?

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BILL
We’re restocking.
Oliver breaks into a smile and hurries after Bill.
EXT. SUPERMARKET PARKING LOT, GRAYLING, MICHIGAN – NIGHT
Bill and Oliver peeks inside the supermarket through the glass
window. Oliver turns to Bill.
OLIVER
I’ll go around the back and
find a window to climb in
through.
Bill rolls his eyes.
INT. SUPERMARKET, GRAYLING, MICHIGAN – NIGHT
Bill and Oliver are sitting on the supermarket aisle floor with
the LED camping lamp in between them. Opened food cans, potato
chip bags, and beer cans are scattered around them.
OLIVER
I’m living my childhood dream.
Just stuff my face full of food
at a shop.
BILL
That’s one way to look at it.
OLIVER
And I always wished I could just
not work and do whatever I want.
Oliver fidgets with his tie. Bill stares at it.
BILL
Why you wearing that thing
all the time then?

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OLIVER
Oh I don’t know. Old habits
die hard I guess. Hey, can I
see that radio again? Do you
think we can listen to music?
Bill looks into his rucksack.
BILL
I doubt it. The time we met was
the first time I heard anything
that clearly.
He hands the machine to Oliver. Oliver turns the switch on. They
can only hear STATIC. Bill yawns.
BILL (Cont.)
See?
Oliver shakes the machine. Bill wobbles up to his feet.
BILL
I’m going to bed.
Bill walks over to the sleeping bag spread out on the end of the
aisle.
BILL (Cont.)
Do what you want but try
to keep it down will you?
OLIVER
Okay.
Oliver twists the dial and lowers the volume. He props the
machine beside the lamp and opens another can of beer.
INT. SUPERMARKET, GRAYLING, MICHIGAN – NIGHT
Several more cans of beer have joined in with the earlier pile
of trash. Oliver is slouched against the aisle rack. He is
snoring softly. Suddenly, the machine’s STATIC breaks and an

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eerie music that sounds like something from The Twilight Zone
start playing. Oliver stirs awake.
MACHINE
And now, an all-new episode
of “All That Remains”, starring
Andrew Jones as Simon Lewis,
Julie Spinner as Carolyn McAdam,
and Keith Rodgers as Captain Frazer.
Oliver rubs his eyes and reaches for the machine. He brings it
to his ear and grins. He turns back towards the end of the aisle
and hisses at Bill.
OLIVER
Billy! Bill, Bill!
Oliver turns back to the machine and raises the volume. A woman
and a man’s voice starts playing from the machine.
CAROLYN
Oh, Simon, I’m freezing.
SIMON
Hang in there. You have to
stay strong. We’re almost there.
Oliver places the radio back down on the floor carefully and
reaches for a new pack of potato chips.
CAROLYN
Where is John?
SIMON
I’m afraid John…left us.
CAROLYN
No, he didn’t!

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Oliver carries a couple of potato chips into his mouth. He chews,
swallows, and turns back towards Bill again. He slowly raises
himself up to his feet.
OLIVER
Bill, there’s some good stuff
going on here!
Suddenly, a familiar male voice is speaking from the machine.
CAPTAIN FRAZER
We call out to all of those who
are in ground zero. If you can
hear this message, stay strong.
We have not abandoned you. The
borderline will close at first frost.
We advise you to head north before
the storm hits.
Oliver stops chewing.
CAROLYN
Simon, did you hear that?
SIMON
Yes!
CAROLYN
This is wonderful!
Oliver slumps back down on the floor. He stares at the radio in
a look of disbelief. The voices from the radio program drown out.
INT. SUPERMARKET, GRAYLING, MICHIGAN – DAY
Bill stirs awake. He winces at the sunlight leaking in from the
window. Oliver is sitting at the farther end of the aisle with
the LED camping light and the radio still on.

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BILL
You’ve managed to get
that thing working?
Bill walks over to Oliver. Oliver looks up with bloodshot eyes.
BILL
Jesus, have you been up
all night?
OLIVER
It’s on repeat.
BILL
What is?
MACHINE
And this is the end of this
week’s program. Stay tuned
for more next week!
The familiar eerie music plays.
MACHINE
And now, an all-new episode
of “All That Remains”, starring
Andrew Jones as Simon Lewis,
Julie Spinner as Carolyn McAdam,
and Keith Rodgers as Captain Frazer.
CAROYN
Oh, Simon, I’m freezing.
OLIVER
There is no help in Canada, Bill.
Bill scoffs and shakes his head.
BILL
What the hell are you talking
about? Of course there is!

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INT. STORAGE ROOM, SUPERMARKET, SUBRURBS – DAY
Back in at the supermarket where Bill and Oliver had first met.
Instead it is Bill and Hugh standing there. They are having a
heated conversation but the voice is inaudible. Hugh shouts
something at Bill and points at the radio machine.
OLIVER (V.O)
The message is just a made
up program, Bill. It’s all
made up.
Oliver’s voice synchronizes with the movement of Hugh’s lips.
Bill stares at Hugh angrily and lashes out.
INT. SUPERMARKET, GRAYLING, MICHIGAN – DAY
Bill stares down at Oliver angrily.
BILL
You’re just like Hugh.
You all don’t want me to go.
You’re all up to something.
OLIVER
No, Bill, I swear. I’m telling
you the truth just listen!
CAPTAIN FRAZER
We call out to all of those who
are in ground zero.
BILL
No I won’t.
CAPTAIN FRAZER
The borderline will close at
first frost. We advise you to
head north before the storm hits.

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Bill kicks the radio, the audio stops. He throws his hands out
and gestures out the window. He is choking with tears.
BILL
We’re so close!
Why do you say that, huh?
Why do you fuckin’ say that?
OLIVER
I’m sorry, Bill. I’m really,
really sorry.
Bill is breathing hard now. Oliver stares back.
Bill is patting the gravel with the flat side of his shovel. The
wind is WHISTLING.
MACHINE (V.O)
And that is the end of this
week’s program. Stay tuned
for more next week!
BLACK.

Route 75

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