Ash and Bourbon

-By Daniel Reyes & J. Stroud, Jr.- "Ash and Bourbon" is a gritty, atmospheric saga set in a fictional Southern city around 1900, where four violent factions vie for control amid a landscape steeped in blood, betrayal, and dark tradition. The narrative centers on the brutal power struggle between The Family—led by the ruthless matriarch Jessica Moultrie and her three sons—the cunning Gaetano family of smugglers, the eerie and mystical Backwoods Milton twins, and the weary Oldwesters, former outlaws seeking survival through uneasy alliances. The story ignites when a shipment of enslaved children is uncovered, sparking a chain of retaliatory attacks that shatter the fragile status quo. As violence escalates, each faction’s internal fractures deepen: Jessica’s iron grip begins to falter under the weight of age and her sons’ ambitions; Giuseppe Gaetano grapples with paranoia and betrayal; the Backwoods twins descend further into ritualistic madness; and Roger Cienfuegos of the Oldwesters struggles to broker peace while haunted by his past. Enter U.S. Marshal Elijah Cartwright, a shadowy figure whose arrival signals not order, but orchestrated chaos. His manipulations fan the flames of war, culminating in a deadly, fiery confrontation at an abandoned church where alliances shatter and blood is spilled indiscriminately. Jessica’s betrayal becomes clear as she engineers carnage to consolidate power, while Roger and Giuseppe form a reluctant partnership to survive the onslaught. The screenplay unfolds through a series of escalating conflicts, secret meetings, and brutal skirmishes, highlighting themes of legacy, revenge, and the corrosive nature of power. Character arcs intertwine with the city’s decay: Jessica’s cold ambition masks a tragic past; Hollie Milton’s mysticism conceals deep loss; Roger wrestles with his lost humanity; and Giuseppe battles to preserve what remains of his family. In the aftermath, the factions are left bloodied but unbroken, forced to reckon with their losses and the cost of survival. The final act hints at uneasy truces and new beginnings, as Roger and Giuseppe open a distillery symbolizing a tentative hope for order amid chaos. Yet Jessica’s ominous return and Cartwright’s continued manipulation underscore that in this city, history is a cycle of violence that never truly dies. "Ash and Bourbon" masterfully blends the principles of Blake Snyder’s "Save the Cat!" with Robert McKee’s narrative arc, John Truby’s integration of character and plot, and echoes of the hero’s journey from Vogler’s framework. It is a dark, poetic exploration of a city and its inhabitants caught in a relentless struggle for power, legacy, and redemption—where every victory is stained with blood, and every alliance forged in fire.