Our Film Script

BLACK SCREEN

IT IS SILENT. GRADUALLY, MUFFLED SOUNDS OF STRUGGLING AND A WOMAN’S VOICE CAN BE HEARD. THE SOUNDS CRESCENDO INTO A SCREAM AND WE CUT TO:

INT. DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY

A MAN IN HIS EARLY TWENTIES – FRANK, REASONABLY HANDSOME AND WELL DRESSED IN A LEATHER JACKET, BUT ALSO SLIGHTLY ROUGH LOOKING -  HAS JUST WOKEN UP BY AN UNKNOWN DISTURBANCE TO HIS RIGHT. HE LOOKS ROUND AT A MAN THE AUDIENCE DO NOT SEE.

          THE UNKNOWN MAN

     You alright mate?

          FRANK

     Yeah… long day.

DESPITE BEING A SEEMINGLY RANDOM OCCURRENCE, FRANK IS LOOKING SOMEWHAT SUSPICIOUS. THE UNKNOWN MAN HAS STILL NOT BEEN REVEALED. FRANK LOOKS OUT OF THE WINDOW OF THE DLR, STARING AT THE CITYSCAPE. IT IS TWILIGHT, AND THE LIGHTS OF CANARY WHARF ARE BEING TURNED ON. FRANK LOOKS BACK AT THE MAN AS THOUGH ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT HE HAS GONE FROM THE SEAT. FRANK LOOKS DOWN TO SEE THAT THE MAN HAS LEFT A BOOK ON HIS CHAIR – JOSEPH CONRAD’S ‘Heart of Darkness’. FRANK NOTICES THAT THE TRAIN HAS PULLED INTO A PLATFORM, PRESUMABLY WHERE THE UNKNOWN MAN HAS LEFT FOR, AND PICKS UP THE BOOK ONCE THE TRAIN HAS SET OFF. INSIDE IS A FOLDED SHEET OF PAPER, WITH ‘Deptford Bridge 5:10’ WRITTEN INSIDE. IT IS NOW CLEAR TO THE AUDIENCE THAT THIS MEETING HAS BEEN SET UP. FRANKHEARS A TANOI ANNOUNCE THAT THE UPCOMING STATION IS DEPTFORD BRIDGE.

CUT TO:

EXT. DEPTFORD BRIDGE STATION

AS THE TRAIN PULLS IN, FRANK LEAVES ON TO THE PLATFORM, LOOKING LEFT AND RIGHT AS THOUGH FOR SOMEONE ELSE. EVENTUALLY, HE NOTICES A WELL DRESSED MAN IN A SUIT STANDING BY THE EDGE OF THE PLATFORM, LOOKING AT THE STREETS BELOW. FRANK APPROACHES HIM AND THE WELL DRESSED MAN TURNS AROUND.

          FRANK

     Do you have the time?

          WELL DRESSED MAN

     Yeah… you’re late.

THIS MEETING HAS ALSO CLEARLY BEEN SET UP, DESPITE THE SEEMINGLY UNSUSPICIOUS CONVERSATION. THE WELL DRESSED MAN WALKS PAST FRANK, MUTTERING AS HE DOES SO:

          WELL DRESSED MAN

     Red hat.

FRANK PROCEEDS TO LOOK AROUND THE STATION UNTIL HE NOTICES A YOUNG WOMAN IN A RED HAT. IT IS NOW CLEAR TO THE AUDIENCE THAT THE EVENTS HAVE BEEN LEADING UP TO THIS – FRANK HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR HER. SHE LEAVES THE STATION, UNAWARE OF FRANK’S PRESCENE,AND WALKS DOWN THE STEPS OF THE PLATFORM WITH FRANK FOLLOWING FAIRLY CLOSE BEHIND HER. SHE IS NOW ON THE STREETS, AND FRANK REACHES FOR A HAT OF HIS OWN TO MAKE HIS FACE UNSEEN. THE GIRL WALKS DOWN INTO A BACKALLEY BY A RIVER, AND FRANK MAKES HIS MOVE, GRABBING HER BY THE NECK AND FORCING HER TO THE GROUND. AS HE BEGINS TO STRANGLE HER, THE SAME SOUNDS THE AUDIENCE HEARD OVER THE BLACK SCREEN ARE HEARD AGAIN AND WE-

FADE TO BLACK.