"Gumdrop", a short horror

A traumatized underground armorer sells weapons through a coded ritual, but as his fractured mind slips further from reality, the violence he supplies gives way to something far more personal — and far more sinister.

Type:

Short

Status:

Example of work only

Page Count:

27pp

Genre:

Crime

Budget:

Shoestring

Age Rating:

17+

Based On:

True crime as told in the short story, "Gumdrop City" by JZ Murdock (2012)

Studio/Financer:

LgN Productions

Copyright Details:

2020

Synopsis/Details

The armorer of a criminal — or possibly government — organization struggles with unresolved trauma from his distant past as his clients navigate his dangerous present. Sampson is a meticulous and enigmatic weapons supplier, operating from the shadows and bound to rigid routines.

Haunted by delusions and flashbacks from a violently fractured childhood, Sampson’s psychological instability begins to bleed into his work. As buyers come and go using a coded word — “gumdrop” — it becomes clear that the violence he facilitates is only part of the story.

What first appears to be the portrait of a damaged middleman gradually reveals something far more disturbing. In its final turn, “Gumdrop” descends into a darker truth — one rooted in crimes that once existed beyond fiction.

Attached Talent

Tom Remick (Sampson), Stan Wankowski (Manz), Luke Remick (Jinks), Daniel Remick (Ben), Amy Muhlbaier (Wanda), Michael Remick (George), Jason Lockhart, Zachary Hughes (Tom), Aura Stiers (Miranda), Taylor Muhlbaier (Grandma’s Ghost), Nikolas Hayes (Horror Book Reader), Jennifer True (Sampson’s Mother, voice), JZ Murdock (Koloman, voice), Davy Lee Mack-Hazelwood (Bobby 1), Ren Mack-Hazelwood (Bobby 2)

All Accolades & Coverage

As completed film: Andromeda Film Festival 2023 – Best Horror/Thriller, Black Swan International Film Festival July 2023 – Best Horror/Science Fiction/Genre Feature Film, Brandenburg International Film Festival 2023 – Outstanding Achievement Award, Cult Critic Movie Awards 2020 (India) – Outstanding Achievement: Cult Film/Exploitation/Midnight/Para Cinema, Cult Jury Film Fest April 2023 – Best Performer in a Lead Role (Tom Remick), Best Talent (Luke Remick), Best Original Score (Andrea Fioravanti), Best Horror Film, Best Song (Joe Wilson, Alex Dewell), Death Skull International Film Festival 2023 – Best Thriller Short Film, Filmatic Filmfare 2023 London – Best Horror Film of the Season, Gold Star Movie Awards 2023 (New Jersey) – Best Thriller Feature, Golden Wheat Awards 2023 – Da Vinci Special Section Jury Special Award, Horror Bowl Movie Awards 2023 Ed. XII – Judges Honorable Mention, Indo French International Film Festival 2022 (India) – Best Horror Short Film, International Motion Picture Awards 2023 – Honorable Mention, London Movie Awards 2023 – Silver Award: Indie Feature Film, Los Angeles Motion Picture Festival (LAMP) 2023 – Fritz Lang Award of Distinction: Best Picture, Mount Fuji International Film Festival 2022 – Best Thriller Short Film, Royal Society of Television Motion Picture Awards September 2022 (West Bengal, India) – Horror/Science Fiction/Genre Feature Film Award, Tabriz Cinema Awards 2023 – Best Feature, The Gladiator Film Festival 2023 – Da Vinci Special Section Best Experimental, Thinking Hat Fiction Challenge 2021 Season 7 (India) – Best Noir Film, White Apple Festival Aug/Sep 2023 – Best Thriller, Wild Filmmaker Festival October 2023 – Best Thriller, World Film Carnival Singapore 2022 – Horror/SF/Genre Short Film Award.

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Submitted: 2026-Feb-23

Last Updated: 2026-Feb-23

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The Writer: JZ Murdock

JZ Murdock is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, and indie filmmaker and horror author blending real history, psychological depth, and bold genre storytelling and based in Bremerton, Washington, in the heart of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. A proud USAF veteran living in a Navy town, he brings a unique mix of discipline, depth, and dark imagination to his storytelling. Several screenplays are available for option or co-production, including award-winning true crime, horror, and historical projects. Murdock is open to collaboration with production companies, directors, and animation studios. His true crime drama The Teenage Bodyguard , based on a week in 1974 when a 17-year-old… Go to bio

Agency: Seeking

Agent: Seeking

Manager: Kelly Hughes - zirrik.com

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