Sometimes, people don't have reasons to do the evil things they do. Sometimes, they just want to see it all burn.
With some of the recent "pseudo-robinhood" violence some of these incel criminals have been committing, I want to share this film school script I wrote up. I forget the exact date when I wrote it, but I remember wanting to work on my villain arcs and character building. There were a few geopolitical issues going on at the time, and I believe I finished it right around the time Russia invaded Ukraine.
Once I finished it, I never went back and revised it. It was one of those projects where you get all of the psycho fluff out of your head, stash it, then move on to the real thing. That might just be my process, but it creates some fun reads to look back on.
I'd like to provide a disclaimer. This is purely a creative exercise. The actions and storyline that take place are made to be purely fictional. I do not condone violence in any form.
FADE IN:
EXT. DESERT - SUNSET
We see a distant figure of a man standing alongside a
riverbank smoking a cigarette. He takes one last long drag of
the cigarette and flicks it away. He puts his hands in his
pockets and looks around the desertscape surrounding him. He
stands there for a moment before looking down at the flowing
water of the river. He spins his foot with his heel and
slowly turns away to begin his walk. As he turns around, we
see a spatter of blood on his shirt.
MAN (V.O.)
My purpose has been fulfilled yet
they still come for me. They still
want vengeance for what was
necessary, and they still never
learn.
The man continues walking through the desert landscape
rubbing the dead desert brush through his fingers as he
continues his stride.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I have committed the unspeakable.
Inflicted harm upon the deserving.
I did it all for them and they
still come for me.
The man stops his stride, reaches into his pocket and
pulls out his pack of cigarettes. He takes a cigarette out
and lights it. He takes a slow look around, then continues
walking.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I wanted to be known. I wanted to
be remembered. This is supposed to
be my legacy.
The man reaches the start of an uphill path.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I came to terms that I do not
belong. I am not wanted. I will
never be wanted. No one cares. They
will not talk to me. They will not
look at me. I am not acknowledged.
For that, I knew I was not a
purposeful creation. I am a mistake
made by the creator of life.
The man continually keeps taking drags of his cigarette as he
walks up the hill.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
No one cares about the real problems.
The real issues we face. They get
lost in the propaganda that courses
through our screens. Causing an
uproar to distract from what's
real.
The man continues his walk up the hill, taking a break or two
as the incline increases.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
The pretentious behavior our
false idols are consumed by provide you
all with a blanket of comfort that
does not exist. You and I are on
our own. They do not protect us.
They do not care about us. They do
not blink an eye until one of us
becomes of interest to them. We are
their entertainment. It should be
them killing each other. Not us. It
should be them fighting their wars.
Not us fighting for them. It should
be them dying for their cause.
The man continues his walk.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
We live in poverty. We live in
famine. We live in their shadows.
We live for them. We live, we work,
we die for their comfort, yet not
one of you cares. Not one of you
will do anything. Not one of you
will make a stand. Not one of you
will try to be the change. You have
all given up.
The man gets to the top of the path and walks up a steep
incline to the top of the hill.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I finally made the realization. My
message must be heard. I serve a
purpose greater than all. A purpose
not another soul could uphold. I am
the change. I am the solution. I
have my purpose.
The man reaches the top of the hill, where he stands at the
edge of a cliff. He glares at the disappearing sun.
CUT TO:
INT. NEWS BROADCAST
A newscaster appears to be choked up as he is about to
announce a special breaking news report.
NEWSCASTER
Hello, this is breaking news
report coming out of Los Angeles.
We have confirmed reports that a
bombing has occurred at the World
Summit at the Los Angeles Convention
Center. It has also been confirmed that our
President John Thompson has
been found dead during the search
and rescue efforts. LAPD has confirmed
Canada's Louis Pierre, Brazil's
Ademir Renata, Haiti's Ali Davi, Russia's
Vladimir Csevchenko, France's Gabriel
Dubois, and Mexico's Manuel Rubalcalva
have been pronounced dead. There are
still ongoing search efforts as
there are still missing political
leaders, political staffers, oil
executives and attendees of the
event. This comes as leaders of
many countries came together for a
groundbreaking summit to sign off
on the military response for the
newly formed alliance to combat
India and China's Eastern Exchange
Pact with United Arab Emirates and
Saudi Arabia which excluded many
countries out of the controversial
pact. The new alliance is led by
the US, which has many military
officials suggesting a draft of US
citizens would be necessary to
properly support this level of
military action. This morning,
A.C.N received an unmarked envelope
containing a letter by the
unconfirmed suspect of the bombing.
The broadcast cuts to a document of the letter
as the newscaster reads it.
NEWCASTER (V.O.)
We will now read the letter from
the unconfirmed suspect. "Our slate
is clean; my hands are not. My mind
is clean; our leaders were not.
They've been held accountable. Make
fools of us, shame on you.
Regards,
A Weary Fool.
The broadcast cuts back to the newscaster. He has a brief
moment of silence as he presses his earpiece into his ear.
NEWSCASTER
This update is just in. A.C.N. has
confirmed that authorities have
found the location of the suspect
of the Summit bombing and are
currently in pursuit.
CUT TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
EXT. DESERT - EARLIER
The man is sitting in his truck, pulled over to the side of a
desert road. He snacks on gas station candy as he listens to the
news coverage that was previously shown from the truck's
radio. He hears the newscaster's announcement that
authorities are in pursuit of him. He quickly sits up and
looks at his surroundings. He gets out of the truck and opens
the back door. He lifts up the back seat and pulls out an AK-
47. He leans back into the truck to grab a magazine and loads
it into the gun. He walks out to the middle of the road. He
keeps the gun pointed directly down the road and waits. He
patiently waits for a long beat. Eventually, a small
reflection of light is seen from a distance.
CUT TO:
INT. POLICE CAR - CONTINUOUS
An older, overworked small-town police officer is driving down
a desert road. He holds his dispatch radio as he looks around
the desert landscape.
POLICE OFFICER
Car 933 for dispatch.
DISPATCHER
933, go for dispatch.
POLICE OFFICER
I'm not seeing anything out here.
Am I clear to head back?
DISPATCHER
933, Standby.
POLICE OFFICER
10-4.
The police officer continues driving down the road when he
notices something on the road out in the distance.
DISPATCHER
933, the chief wants a total search of
the area. The suspect was seen in town
earlier. No reports since. All
units are to patrol their areas
thoroughly.
The police officer drives closer to the man.
POLICE OFFICER
Dispatch, 10-10. Possible suspect. Requesting back-
The officer's car is abruptly littered with bullets as the
man empties his magazine. The officer ducks his head but is
shot in the shoulder, causing him to lose control of the
vehicle. The officer drives off the side of the road,
disabling the vehicle and injuring himself further. As the
disabled vehicle remains still, the injured officer rests his
head on the steering wheel.
DISPATCHER
933? 933, status?
The man slowly walks over to the driver's side of the police
car. He opens the door to a badly injured police officer. The
officer twists his forehead on the steering wheel to look
over at the man. The man looks around, then reaches behind his
back for his handgun. The man slowly lifts up his gun toward
the officer's head. The man stares the officer down for a
moment before finishing the execution. The man lowers his gun
and stares at the dead police officer. A few beats go by. The
man then raises his gun above his head and points it to the
sky. He empties the gun into the sky. The man drops the gun
to the side and begins walking away from the road.
CUT TO:
EXT. DESERT - SUNSET
The man continues to watch as the sun falls behind the
horizon. His blissful moment is interrupted by the inbound
police vehicles he sees from afar.
MAN (V.O.)
I am complete...I am whole...I will
be remembered. Enough is enough.
The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small flip
phone as he steps back slowly towards the edge of the cliff.
He flips open the phone and looks up as the swarm of law
enforcement closes in. He stares out for a brief moment before
pressing a button on the phone. One car after the other, we
see plumes of explosions rising into the air from a distance.
The man drops the phone and inches closer to the cliff edge
until his heels are over.
MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I am no longer a fool.
The man leans back and falls over the cliff.
THE END
—
That wasn't so bad, right? I think I did a good job of building the intensity and pace. I can definitely build it up to a Die Hard level action screenplay. Maybe a Van Damme film. I don't want to do that, but it's fun to think about the directions I could go with it.
The voiceover seems vague. I think I was trying to be poetic. I think if it were to actually be filmed as it stands, it'd make a good Coen brothers ripoff for the student film circuit.
When I was writing it, I had this in mind: Javier Bardem voicing and playing the main character, Russell Crowe as the police officer, and Anderson Cooper as the News Anchor.