Debbie and her daughter Lily live above her unsuccessful bookshop in London. One day she and her neighbors, sassy hairdresser Ken, and feisty retiree Ms. McKilly, receive the news that their neighbor and owner of the building, Mr. Turing, passed away. Much to their surprise, the house is inherited by Mr. Turing’s never-seen-before niece Susan, who, together with her brother David, immediately raises the rent. While Debbie and Ken worry about how to pay for both their shops and their flats, Ms. McKilly suspects that something is off. Shortly after, veracious detective Conan receives an anonymous tip hinting that the will of Mr. Turing is forged, and he decides to take on the case. In order to raise funds to pay for the increased rent, Ms. McKilly proposes to sell Lily’s prescribed Ritalin pills to senior citizens for recreational use and launder the money through Ken’s salon, all the while using a secret staircase connecting their apartments as a hideaway. Ken is on board, but Debbie hesitates as she already has a criminal history that she prefers not to disclose. However, she gives in after realizing that Lily will have to live with her father if Debbie would lose their home.
Just as the tenants start their scheme Conan turns up and moves into Mr. Turing’s flat for his undercover investigation. Unaware of their respective clandestine activities, Debbie and Conan start dating while Ken keeps tabs on their illegal operation and Ms. McKilly is courted by David, believing her to be wealthier than she cares to admit. The tenants’ smuggling business booms, requiring Debbie to show off her criminal skills by forging doctor’s notes to keep up with the demand. Things are going great for the neighbors, and Debbie and Ken’s regular businesses even start to pick up with a little help from tech-savvy Lily. However, Debbie finds out that Conan is a detective, and sees herself forced to break up with him to protect her and her friends’ illicit activities. Unfortunately, Lily’s father finds out about the forged doctor’s notes and takes Lily with him so she won’t get entangled in her mother’s dirty business. At the same time, Susan and David find out that the building’s insurance payout is worth more than the actual building, and hatch a plan to get both Ms. McKilly’s inheritance and the insurance money.
Ken consoles a broken-hearted Debbie, and they decide to stop their scheme and move out of their home for good. Knowing that she has nothing left to lose, Ms. McKilly reveals to Conan that she suspected Susan and David to be scammers all along, and has therefore come up with the idea of bootlegging Ritalin to keep the neighborhood together and buy Conan time to find evidence. Shortly after David asks Ms. McKilly to sign a will in his favor. Debbie, who has grown suspicious of Ms. McKilly’s relationship with him, sneaks up the secret staircase to eavesdrop on their conversation, only to find Conan already recording their meeting. While Conan and Debbie reconcile, David drugs Ms. McKilly and sets fire to her apartment, but is arrested with Susan shortly after. The fire spreads, but luckily Ms. McKilly’s trusty bulldog Bowie alarms her and their neighbors, and they escape through the secret staircase that ends up burning down, destroying all evidence of their illegal operation. The day after Debbie finds Mr. Turing’s original will, wherein he bequests the house to Debbie, Ken, and Ms. McKilly, thanking them for their longstanding neighborly friendship.
Official Selection Manchester Lift-Off Festival (2024)
Official Selection London Lift-Off Festival (2023)
Official Selection International Film Festival of Wales Dragon List (2023)
Honorable Mention Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition Fall 2023