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'Regression' trailer screenplay 1
- 1. ’Regression’ Trailer screenplay1 By Adam Thornton ©ACT Productions 2013
- 2. FADE IN: (V.O) Breathe in...Breathe out... You’re in a deep sleep. INT. ALISON’S ROOM - DAY We PULL IN ON a hypnotherapy table in a room. On it lies KATIE JOHNSON, the protagonist. By her side, the medium ALISON. KATIE suddenly wakes up with a jolt. KATIE (V.O) I’ve been having them nightmares again... CUT TO: INT. DARK ROOM - NIGHT Someone is sat in a pentacle comprised of thin candles. They wait patiently, obsessively. JAMES (V.O) The same ones? CUT TO: EXT. SCHOOL GATES - DAY Afternoon. KATIE and her best friend JAMES HARGEAVES are exiting school, talking. KATIE The same ones. JAMES That doesn’t mean anything, does it? DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ROAD - DAY KATIE, JAMES and the rest of their friends - DARREN, CHRIS, KELLY and MARIA - are gathered. They joke and laugh. KATIE (V.O) I don’t know. KELLY Stop worrying about it, Katie! It’s nothing, seriously. (CONTINUED)
- 3. CONTINUED: 2. DARREN (looks toCHRIS) There’s Chris’ party coming up. That’s creepy enough as it is! CHRIS Shut your face. KATIE (V.O) No one but you believes me. CUT TO: INT. VAN - DAY We are watching KATIE through the driver’s-side window of a typical VAN. A plainly-dressed MAN, tall, 30’s, sits in the seat. His face not visible. KATIE (V.O) I can’t explain it. Someone’s watching me. CUT TO: INT. KATIE’S BEDROOM - DAY KATIE is sat on her bed, her mobile phone pressed to her ear. Distress on her face. KATIE (V.O) They’ve been phoning me up at home. JAMES (V.O) Me too! DISSOLVE TO: INT. JAMES’ ROOM - DAY DISSOLVE TO JAMES on the phone himself. He is listening to something. JAMES (V.O) They were just breathing all weird. CUT TO:
- 4. 3. EXT. SCHOOL GATES- DAY KATIE continues talking to JAMES. JAMES Some loser if you ask me. KATIE What the hell do they want with us? INSERT: TITLE CARD: HE KNOWS WHO THEY ARE... CUT TO: EXT. ALISON’S HOUSE - DAY A worn-down looking home, more of a shelter than a house. Greenery around it. ALISON, drably dressed, is at the front door. She looks ahead towards us. KATIE and JAMES are walking past with their friends. KATIE looks at ALISON, suspicious. JAMES That’s the spinster everyone knows about. KELLY Yeah, apparently her two husbands both killed themselves or something. DARREN She lives with ten cats or something now. JAMES Stop messing around! CUT TO: INT. KATIE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT KATIE is wrapped up in a warm bed. The room is poorly lit. A SHAP can be seen in the doorway. KATIE Hello? (CONTINUED)
- 5. CONTINUED: 4. Silence. Suddenly,the figure pounces. SCREAMS. A struggle. KATIE flails around in her duvet. The light is flicked on. It is KATIE’S MUM by the door. MUM What’s wrong, sweetheart? KATIE looks around, stunned. In the chaos, the man has vanished. INSERT: CLOSE UP: RATION CARD A RATION CARD from the 1940’s lies on the floor. KATIE picks it up. KATIE (V.O) I swear someone was there in the room with me. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - DAY Another girly bedroom. KELLY is talking to KATIE. KELLY He’s some weirdo, whoever he is. CUT TO: INT. KILLER’S ROOM - HIGH ANGLE - NIGHT A creepy room. From a HIGH ANGLE we see the stalker sat on the floor, cutting out headlines in a newspaper. Before him is a large scrapbook and dozens of paper cutting littering the carpet. KATIE (V.O) He’s been planning. He’s been planning to attack me. I know it! INSERT: TITLE CARD: HE KNOWS WHERE THEY LIVE... CUT TO:
- 6. 5. INT. KATIE’S BEDROOM- DAY KATIE is sat, engrossed in searching the internet on her laptop. She clicks on a news item on Google. KATIE (V.O) (cont’d) I’ve been doing some searching. INSERT: CLOSE UP: HYPNOTHERAPY BOOK KATIE flicks through a tattered book about hypnotherapy, finding a highlighted chapter about PAST LIFE REGRESSION. JAMES (V.O) Maybe your nightmares are something to do with a past life? CUT TO: INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR - DAY The gang all together, walking down a school corridor. DARREN Are you serious? JAMES I saw something on TV about it. CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - NIGHT MARIA is cowering by a tree, terrified. The SHAPE grabs hold of her from behind, burly arms gripping her throat. MARIA SCREAMS. FLASH ON: MONTAGE: MARIA HANGED MARIA is murdered in a SERIES OF SHOTS. We see the girl’s legs dangling from a tree. CUT TO:
- 7. 6. EXT. ROAD -DAY CHRIS runs up to the friends on their way to school, panting. CHRIS You heard what’s happened? CUT TO: INT. KATIE’S BEDROOM - DAY KATIE SCROLLS down the webpage onto a black and white IMAGE of three teenagers who look very similar to herself and her friends. DISSOLVE TO: MEDIUM: FRIENDS WALKING Matching the line-up from the photograph, DARREN, KATIE and JAMES walk down a forest road, alone. CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - DAY JAMES looks around the forest, isolated, alone. WE CIRLCE HIM, distraught. KATIE (V.O) I told you he was following us! CUT TO: INT. ROOM - DAY KATIE and KELLY. KELLY How’s that possible? CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - EVENING Early evening. From someone’s POINT OF VIEW we chase KATIE past tree after tree. KATIE Help me! Someone help me! INSERT: (CONTINUED)
- 8. CONTINUED: 7. TITLE CARD: HEKNOWS WHY THEY’LL DIE... CUT TO: INT. KATIE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT KATIE is being lectured by her MUM with detached concern. KATIE’S MUM You haven’t slept in days! KATIE I can’t, mum! I don’t know what’s gonna happen if I do. KATIE’S MUM Nobody can hurt you, we’re here! You’re safe. CUT TO: EXT. ROAD - DAY DARREN is strolling along the pavement. The ominous VAN is waiting for him... CUT TO: EXT. SCHOOL GATES - DAY JAMES and KATIE. KATIE He’ll come for you next, James. You’ve got to promise me you’ll phone tonight, okay? JAMES Sure, sure, I promise. CUT TO: INT. KATIE’S HOUSE - DAY KATIE patrols her empty home. There is a CREAK by the door. She turns round the corner and WE PAN WITH HER... INSERT: POV: KATIE IN HALLWAY (CONTINUED)
- 9. CONTINUED: 8. Through thedoor, we watch KATIE as she stands fiercely. HEAVY BREATHING overheard. CUT TO: EXT. PARK - NIGHT CHRIS is drinking on a park bench late at night, on his own. He looks around in fear, shivers. A scream occurs as WE CUT. CUT TO: INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR - DAY The SCREAM crosses into the scene. KATIE runs up to DARREN and JAMES, distraught. KATIE I found Chris! I found him! INSERT: WIDE: CHRIS’ CORPSE The body of CHRIS lies beside the park bench. KATIE (V.O) He’s dead! CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - NIGHT DARREN is running through the trees. He stumbles clumsily and FALLS OVER... CUT TO: INT. KATIE’S BEDROOM - DAY KATIE on the phone. VOICE You like playing games with me? Let’s play one now. KATIE What? VOICE Who’s about to get their heart cut out? Your boyfriend or your sister? You decide. (CONTINUED)
- 10. CONTINUED: 9. KATIE You’re sick! INSERT: MEDIUMCLOSE UP: KNIFE The MAN fondles a knife in one hand, sat on a chair. We cannot see their face. CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT KELLY is tidying herself up in a toilet. Reflected in the mirror is the SHAPE, wearing a mask. DISSOLVE TO: INT. ALISON’S ROOM - NIGHT KATIE is being laid down on the hypnotherapy table. Candles are lit. Incense and smoke fill the room. ALISON calms her. KATIE (V.O) Alison’s a medium. She can help. ALISON I’ll just put you to sleep my love, and you’ll start feeling very calm. KATIE shuts her eyes. ALISON Breathe in... CUT TO: INT. JAMES’ ROOM - DAY JAMES is shouting on the phone loudly. JAMES Don’t answer the phone! Don’t open the door! Just don’t go anywhere! CUT TO:
- 11. 10. EXT. WOODS -NIGHT Someone’s Point of View pounces at DARREN. He yells in fear. CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT KELLY is attacked in her bathroom, screaming. CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - NIGHT KATIE runs past a tree and takes cover, looking exhausted and beaten. ALISON (V.O) Breathe out... CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT JAMES bumps into a dark shape on a suburban street, late at night. CUT TO: INT. ALISON’S ROOM - NIGHT KATIE struggles on the hypnotherapy table, experiencing a traumatic past life. CUT TO: INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR - DAY DARREN is confessing to his surviving friends. DARREN (sarcastic) Am I scared? I’m a bit more than scared! Just a little bit! INSERT: EXTREME CLOSE UP: HANDS A pair of gnarled hands are rinsed of blood under running water, redness washing down the plughole. CUT TO:
- 12. 11. INT. BATHROOM -NIGHT KELLY runs out of the bathroom screaming for help. A pair of feet chase after her. CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - EVENING The SHAPE can be seen in the woods, raising a knife in a taunt to someone out of shot. ALISON (V.O) Breathe in... CUT TO: INT. JAMES’ ROOM - DAY JAMES on the phone. VOICE I will find you. CUT TO: EXT. WOODS - NIGHT KATIE is choked against a tree. She grapples for the killer’s knife , dangling in their free hand. CUT TO: INT. ROOM - DAY The killer lurks among his notebook and smoking incense, lighting the dark room. He shouts at a body whimpering in the corner. VOICE (V.O) I will get you. CUT TO: EXT. PARK - NIGHT CHRIS sits on his own and screams. CHRIS (sobbing) Why? CUT TO:
- 13. 12. INT. ALISON’S ROOM- NIGHT KATIE slowly gets up from the regression table after her nightmare. VOICE(V.O) I will kill you. She looks around. KATIE Alison? From KATIE’S POINT OF VIEW the room is empty. She slowly sits up and peers around the corner. ALISON (V.O) Breath out... You’re going into a very deep sleep... We see a figure creeping up behind her... CUT TO: SERIES OF SHOTS We intercut quick scenes of the teens in a SERIES OF SHOTS undergoing their torment; chases in the woods, screaming, getting threatened by weapons, etc. FLASH ON KATIE as she wakes up in bed, screaming. INSERT: TITLE CARD: REGRESSION CUT TO: INT. ALISON’S ROOM - NIGHT KATIE leas back on the table, exhausted. She sighs. There is a GROAN and a pair of hands grab her. We see the KILLER for an instant and she SCREAMS.