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Crypsis | Adventure Thriller | Gloucester, Ma

Log line: A group of friends make a bet to see who can survive on an island for a night. Unbeknownst to them, a strange creature lurks throughout the night terrorizing their every move. Ethan must figure out the how to defeat this creature and save his friends before time runs out.

This screenplay offers a unique perspective on the low budget suspense genre and adds several unexpected twists and turns. Not your typical suspense film, it bucks the trend of traditional survival films while achieving a balance of friendship, caring, machismo, and action.

Synopsis: Ethan is you typical do-yourself guy who loves a good challenge. Never one to back down from a bet, Kyle proposes a night of survival on the mysterious  Harker Island. With money at stake, the teams are set. Ethan and Eric make up the leaders of their perspective teams, both of which are a bit ego driven and willing to put it on the line to win. On Ethan’s team is Josh, an out of shape, incapable, give it your best shot unwillingly kind of guy. Not one for survival tactics, this bet was not his idea to say the least. Eric is the man’s man who is in charge of the other group along with Brandon and Justin. Brandon is a small, meek, uncoordinated, mama’s boy without a survival skill to be had. Justin on the other hand is the sarcastic, brooding, mysterious type that offers some help throughout the night. 

The bet takes places on Harker Island, a remote Island off the coast only assessable by boat. The two teams separate and set up their prospective camps for the night. As their first evening unfolds with small survival challenges and heartfelt discussions, strange occurrences begin to happen. Noises, sticks breaking, and screams fill the night. As the teams go to to investigate the happenings, chaos begins to unfold. Soon everyone realizes they are not alone on Harker Island. 

A creature from years past stalks them on the island. Unbeknownst to anyone, it has survived years on this island away from civilization. Stories throughout the years have been heard, but no one has every witnessed this creature themselves. His skills as a hunter are second to none. Like any other hunter, he too has strengths and weaknesses. It’s up to the group of friends to decipher what those are before it’s too late.

Chaos on the island ensues as friends go missing. Ethan, never one to back down takes an analytical approach to solving the puzzle of defeating the creature. He goes on the offensive to decipher the creature and its habits. Eric on the other hand, wants nothing more than to leave. Not caring who is left or where, his first goal is to get out at all costs. These two butt heads over strategy and solutions while Brandon and Josh are struggling to survive the night. Everyone’s skill set, or lack there of, becomes exposed. Their strengths and weaknesses as individuals begin to hamper their collective goal of survival. No one has the right answer.

When the sun rises, Ethan, Eric, and Josh set out to find Brandon and Justin, who got lost throughout the night. They comb the island discovering evidence and carnage the creature has left behind. They finally find Brandon stuck high up in a tree catatonic. He is beside himself and everything he has gone through has made him scared for his life. Before they can get him down, night begins to fall again. Ethan knows they cannot survive another night, so he hatches a plan to fight the creature and survive at all costs. The group must band together in order to save themselves. That becomes a true test of survival. What started out as a friendly bet, turns into a fight for their lives against a creature they never knew existed.


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