Synopsis/Details
All Accolades & Coverage
HOPE FALLS is in the TOP 6% of discoverable projects on Coverfly.
The script has reached the finals of:
The Script Lab Screenplay Contest
The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Competition
The Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards
Fresh Voices
And was an Official Selection at Script Summit
COVERAGE:
THE SCRIPT LAB Screenplay Competition
This is a great crime script I was attentive to every little detail. Once the script started, I was completely immersed in the story. There are a lot of themes that happen to play a big part in the show, like immigration, racism, fear, family, child abuse, and guilt amongst others. I think you have a unique script.
The characters are very unique and entertaining. But above all, I think that making the town a character on its own is a genius idea. The world that you've created has its own rules and ways of life that enhance the sense of tension.
I think that structurally you have a great script, the act breaks stand out for me, they show that you have a great sense of structure and story. So overall brilliant work.
From the point when Regan walked down the stairs sleepwalking, I was hooked. I believe that you did a great job developing the story and making sure that at every turn there was something getting us deeper and deeper into the mystery of the disappearance of this girl. I think that one of the great things about this script is that things don't feel coincidental for the most part. Everything flows naturally and you give the characters not just actions but every action is buried in deep emotion. Brilliant job. Brilliant work building these characters and their worlds.
Well done, you clearly know how to structure a show, and have the audience be completely engrossed in what's happening. This felt like a real show, I could see the overall arc of the show. Well done. For me the thing that shows me the fact that you know the structure is that every act break is solid, they are all cliffhangers that make us want to keep watching. You also have all the pivotal beats like inciting incident, all is lost, and midpoint, they are all charged emotionally, and they will have an effect on the further episodes, which makes it even more masterful. Fantastic job.
The dialogue feels real, there is nothing that I would've changed. I think that having these many characters and being able to give them all unique voices is really impressive. I can feel in their dialogue the urgency, and the despair. My favourite ine is when the father's girlfriend curses, it feels like the real reaction to the situation.
I was also fascinated by the power struggle between the different police identities, even though it feels petty it sounds real. There are a lot of things that make the dialogue cool and interesting, I like the difference of generation that you show, for examples, the grandparents sound different than the younger characters.
Overall, I think that you have a good idea of how your characters sound like and have the ability to create great conversations that keep the story moving forward.
I think that this show has a great concept, it's gripping and unique. And even though it's not a fresh take on the crime genre it feels like it has all the great attributes of a fantastic crime thriller genre. I like the different themes that you bring in to play and can see that there will be a lot of talk of themes that are in the zeitgeist at the moment, like immigration, child abuse, and the opioid crisis. Overall, I think that this is a great show.
THE BLACK LIST
This is a well-executed, suspenseful pilot. The writer does a great job setting the stage with REGAN. It's an eerie beginning to an eerie script. The writer also does a good job in exploring all the people who are affected by REGAN going missing. Besides the obvious despair of her family, the writer explores the mayor's reaction. His first priority is making sure the town still gets money from tourists, which is a terrifying concept. He doesn't care that a little girl was raped, he cares that the town is successful financially under his watch. This is an altogether riveting pilot and the mystery of what happened to REGAN will entice readers/audiences into continuing on with this series. The writer also does a great job in placing clues throughout that piece like the Muslim compound which seemingly has no connection in the pilot.
The pilot was a good character piece. The mystery felt purposeful and was used to inform the relationships between each character rather than solely drive the plot. The dialogue also felt authentic to each character. The grieving grandparents displayed a visceral anguish and the cops did not feel stereotypical. There was a particularly clever line where the FBI agent calls out the mayor for having the name "Mayor Mayer". It was a pithy way to make the characters feel more real and specific. And although these characters were not explored as deeply, the tension with the townspeople and the Muslim refugee community has potential for interesting social commentary.
The real feat of this script is right there in the title: Hope Island has a combination of quaintness and distinctiveness that makes for an excellent setting. It has the isolated feeling, emphasized particularly well in the opening lines, that puts these characters into a sort of pressure cooker. And the contrast between the idyllic island and the brutality of the crime makes for a jarring entry into this world. Most of all, though, it’s this mysterious Muslim compound that renders the island unique. It allows the show to bring in timely issues of race, prejudice, and community—and alienation therefrom—that will prove interesting to explore as the series continues. And seeing how Murad immediately suspects something is going on with Mohammad, while still protecting him from the prying questions of the police, suggests some intra-communal conflict that will further complicate matters and make for even greater drama. Little character interactions suggest the clashes to come, with FBI Agent Daltry chafing immediately against the small-town squeamishness of some of the characters. His bluntness in investigating the crime might create a genuine divide in viewers—some who find his candor refreshing, and others who find it repellant—that will make for a great, nuanced character for an actor to take on.
This script moves along at a great clip. The dialogue reads well, it's all very natural sounding and specific to each character. The action is well written and easy to follow.
COVERFLY
HOPE contains moments of action and considerable suspense, much high drama and other forms of dramatic excitement. There are a number of emotional beats throughout, including those associated with familial love and caring, and those related to the horror learning your little granddaughter has been murdered.
The central storyline is complex and mysterious as befits the genre. The supporting storylines complement and contrast with the central story as appropriate.
Pace is brisk and steady throughout; there are no lulls as the story unfolds. Tone is effectively suspenseful and tragic.
Themes include the grossly mistaken idea that “it must be the foreigners”, and, the sad reality of a politician’s effort to keep the news positive to avoid concerns about tourism. Other themes include the horror of learning of the death of your daughter over the Internet or on TV news.
There is much to admire about this tragic mystery; there is great potential and promise here. You have good ideas, sound instincts, and a developing voice that will continue to sharpen and evolve as you keep writing.
SCREENCRAFT
Hope is a very well-written and engaging hour-long drama pilot featuring an eclectic mix of characters, some unexpected plot turns and a really unique setting. One of the many aspects of this script that works well is the way the investigation is conducted. In addition to the investigation itself feeling authentic, the hierarchy at play with the Mayor, F.B.I. and Jenny also feels grounded in reality, not to mention hints at potential conflict to come.
THE BLACK LIST II
Any breakdown of this pilot script must first praise the excellent misdirect-twist at its end. The search party of Regan that takes up the majority of this first episode’s narrative comes with a great concluding reveal here that is equal parts shocking and satisfying for any reader or audience to enjoy.
Its set-up and delivery is the textbook sign of great narrative writing, a testament to this scribe’s strengths. The same strength in plotting also applies to the narrative at-large here.
Throughout the course of this pilot, it always remains focused on its thriller through-line, nicely ratcheting up the stakes and tension of its later acts. Additionally, the cloistered Muslim community on the island is not only a timely inclusion here, but also for the season ahead, sets up quite an interesting dichotomy for what one could only assume would be a major point of conflict in the show to come. And with this scribe’s clear penchant for nicely-threaded misdirects, it seems like a great outlet for future twists and turns. It is worth mentioning that the small town feel of this pilot is also deftly coming across on the page.
Especially in the wake of its expertly-threaded twist, there is a conceivable market for this pilot script right in the programming blocks of the major networks [think in the vein of ABC’s SECRETS AND LIES].
A contained, atmospheric island murder story more than fits the bill for a network show with breakout potential, and the fresh manner with which the first episode here would shock audiences with its last act twist would certainly hook viewers to return to its second hour. Adjusting some of its more archetypal elements to further differentiate this pilot script would go a long way into helping its first episode earn the industry eyes its plotting frankly deserves.
LOS ANGELES INTERNTIONAL SCREENPLAY AWARDS
The script is laced with conflict. From Regan’s disappearance, to her parents’ existing tumultuous relationship, to Aurora’s strained relationship, to the mayor’s hush-hush demeanor, to Muhammad’s unexplained absence. The introduction of conflict after conflict keeps the reader engaged in the story and widens the world that it is set in.
The story revolves around the disappearance of a sweet seven-year-old-girl… instant emotional investment. The inclusion of Muslim refugees into the narrative is also curiosity provoking and additive. The conflict with the refugees compound is timely and relatable, which can extend the target audience.
Overall, this script has good structure, with constant introduction of side characters while maintaining a steadily increasing establishment of setting and circumstance. This script does a good job introducing new characters and establishing the relationships between them. The formatting is clear and well written, allowing the reader adequate insight to the story’s parameters. There is a strong sense of flow and forward progression. This concept is solid. The addition of the Syrian refugee compound is interesting and sets up the series for some poignant commentary down the line.
The tone was strong throughout the script, handling the serious subject matter delicately. The tone is established immediately in the teaser and remains consistent throughout each act.
This script is technically well written and the structure is clear and easy to follow. The teaser is fantastic.
