This document is a screenplay that tells the story of Esme, a woman who lives with her controlling mother. As a teenager, Esme is prevented from leaving the house by her mother. Years later, now 25, Esme continues to live under her mother's strict daily routine and control. Esme begins to experience strange visions and paranoia, believing the house is making her insane. In an attempt to escape, Esme drugs her mother's tea, allowing her to finally leave the house. The screenplay ends many years later with an elderly Esme on her deathbed in an asylum, where she has been committed for murdering her mother.

1. 1.
INT. HOUSE - MORNING
Multiple shots of ESME(a teenager - 17) running
downstairs where the credits fade as she goes past them.
She sneaks into the main hallway towards the front door
of the house.
ESME looks over both her shoulders before she runs to the
front door and opens it.
Suddenly, there is a shadow falling across her face, she
looks to the side of the door to see her MOTHER. Her hand
grips onto the door handle tight.
The MOTHER is there infront of ESME. She leans in towards
ESME with a face void of emotion. The MOTHER’s hand
creeps around the door and holds it firmly.
MOTHER
(Venomously whispers)
You never learn, little one.
Inside. now.
ESME Fliches from her MOTHER’s words. She takes one last
look at the outside with a longing face but then turns to
her MOTHER, hesitates for a spilt second before bowing
her head and nodding.
CUTS TO...
EXT. HOUSE - MORNING
ESME and her MOTHER are still in the same position.
The MOTHER’s fingers can just be seen pushing the door
slowly closed. ESME looks up one final time to the
outside as the door shuts.
WIDE: SHOT OF THE DOOR BEING SHUT. AS THE DOOR SLOWLY
CLOSES, THE TITLE APPEARS ON THE DOOR, “THE DANGER
WITHIN.”
FADES TO BLACK...

2. 2.
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - BEDROOM
ESME is now older (25).
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: ESME IN HER BEDROOM,SHE IS WEARING A
BLACK DRESS THAT GOES DOWN TO THE FLOOR. ESME IS WRITING
IN A BOOK(DIARY) THEN THE CAMERA TRACKS UP FROM HER TO A
DAILY ROUTINE PLAN ON THE WALL.
(Daily routine: Making breakfast 9:00 (1hr), reading in
living room 10:30(1hr), etc.)
MEDIUM CLOSE UP TRACK: ESME STANDS UP AND (CAMERA TRACKS
TO DOOR) TURNS TOWARDS HER DOOR WHERE HER MOTHER IS
STANDING.
CLOSE UP: ESME’S FACE AS TAKES A DEEP BREATH THROUGH HER
NOSE.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - HALLWAY
ESME and her MOTHER are linking arms as they walk down
the hallway. ESME appears quite uncomfortable while her
MOTHER looked calm and almost happy.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING - LIVING ROOM
ESME is sitting on a Couch (knitting) as her MOTHER sits
next to her, reading.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - KITCHEN
CLOSE UP: ESME is sitting at a small table with a glass
of water. The camera then tracks to her side where her
mother sitting at the head of the table pouring tea into
a cup.
CUTS TO...

3. 3.
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - ATTIC
ESME starts cleaning in the attic, sorting out boxes. Her
MOTHER stands by the door with her arms folded,
occasionally looking at her watch.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - THE NEXT DAY - MORNING - BEDROOM
ESME gets up from her bed. MOTHER is already at the door.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - LIVING ROOM
ESME is sitting on a Couch (knitting) as her MOTHER sits
next to her, reading.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - KITCHEN
MEDIUM CLOSE UP: ESME IS SITTING AT A SMALL TABLE
DRINKING A GLASS OF WATER.
All of a sudden, she stops drinking...
CUTS TO A MEDIUM CLOSE UP OF A DRIPPING SYRINGE ON THE
KITCHEN SURFACE.
Cuts back to a wide shot of ESME and her MOTHER. Her eyes
flicker to her MOTHER in panic but she is reading this
time and does not see the syringe.
ESME looks back to the syringe...
CLOSE UP SHOT: THE KITCHEN COUNTER IS EMPTY. THE CAMERA
PANS FROM THE COUNTER AROUND TO ESME’S FACE.
She is deeply confused.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - ATTIC
ESME starts cleaning in the attic, sorting out boxes. Her
MOTHER stands by the door with her arms folded,
occasionally looking at her watch.
CUTS TO...

4. 4.
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - BEDROOM
ESME gets up from her bed. MOTHER is already at the door.
ESME is becoming more tired and frustrated.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - LIVING ROOM
ESME is sitting on a Couch (knitting) as her MOTHER sits
next to her, reading. ESME starts to get tired (sighs)
from knitting so she stops.
She notices a clipboard on the coffee table in front of
her, it appears to be a medical file on someone.
“Insomnia”, “Delusions”, “Paranoia”. The person’s name
and image is blacked out.
She glances at her MOTHER, this time her MOTHER senses
her glance.
She has a scowl on her face and nods towards her
knitting.
ESME looks back to the coffee table and sees there is
nothing there. She quickly begins to knit again.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - KITCHEN
CLOSE UP: ESME is sitting at a small table with a glass
of water. The camera then tracks to her side where her
mother sitting at the head of the table pouring tea into
a cup.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - ATTIC
ESME starts cleaning in the attic, sorting out boxes. Her
MOTHER stands by the door with her arms folded,
occasionally looking at her watch.
CUTS TO...

5. 5.
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - BEDROOM
ESME stays in bed. MOTHER is already at the door.
ESME is becoming more frustrated and paranoid at all her
surroundings.
ESME shakes her head at her MOTHER, not wanting to go
around the house that day. The MOTHER huffs and walks
over to the window and checks that it is locked.
ESME notices a stethoscope hanging around the MOTHER’s
neck, she blinks and it vanishes.
As the MOTHER walks back to the door, she nods at ESME,
smirks and locks the door behind her.
ESME then runs out of her bed to her diary and writes “I
think, I’m going crazy, this house is making me insane. I
must get out tomorrow. Love, Esme.”
Closing the diary, she runs back to her bed.
FADES TO BLACK..
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - BEDROOM
ESME gets up from her bed. The MOTHER is already at the
door.
ESME is relatively happy.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - LIVING ROOM
ESME is sitting on a Couch (knitting) as her MOTHER sits
next to her, reading.
CUTS TO...
INT. HOUSE - MORNING/MIDDAY - KITCHEN
ESME is by the counter while her MOTHER reads a book. She
is making the tea, ESME looks over her shoulder and finds
no one looking so she opens the cupboard in front of her.
Medicine is in there, ESME takes some sleeping pills and
quickly drops them in the tea.
CUTS TO...

6. 6.
CLOSE UP: ESME is sitting at a small table with a glass
of water. The camera then tracks to her side where her
mother sitting at the head of the table (book set aside
on table) pouring tea into a cup and taking a sip.
The MOTHER then gets up and staggers around the kitchen
confused and dazed. Her arms shake as she holds onto the
counter and then she collapses onto the floor.
ESME (still sipping her water) smirks slightly.
FADES TO BLACK...
INT. HOUSE - MIDDAY - MAIN ENTRANCE
ESME stands in front of the door. She grabs the door
handle and opens the door.
FADES TO WHITE...
INT. ASYLUM - ROOM
ESME is now 60 years old.
Barely anything of real importance is in her room except
from some knitting needles, a scarf and a diary.
Esme is lying on her death bed, completely still with a
smile on her face.
CUTS TO OUTSIDE HER DOOR...
CLOSE UP AND TRACKS UP THE DOOR WHERE HER MEDICAL REPORT
IS, “INSOMNIA”, “DELUSIONS”, “PARANOIA” AND “MURDER”. IT
HAS ESME’S FACE AND NAME ON IT FROM WHEN SHE WAS 25.
Above this is a door letterbox for food.
At the top of the door is a caution sign, saying,
“Caution, Danger Within.”
FADES TO BLACK...

7. 7.