Jellybean

An internet cryptid with a twisted sense of humor terrorizes five students at Portage Falls High: MADELINE. Pretty, privileged and depressed. She’s addicted to social media and feels out of place in her cruel clique of trendy TikTok girls. Jellybean preys on her suicidal tendencies. OLIVIA. Mature and independent. She’s a gifted artist. She had an abortion and is consequently the target of ruthless bullying. Jellybean impregnates her using a reanimated corpse. ELIJAH. Class clown and charismatic video game streamer. He lives in the shadow of his big brother. He becomes obsessed with Jellybean, plunging into insomnia and delirium. ALEJANDRO. A good-natured band kid struggling to reconcile his sexuality with his family’s values. When Jellybean outs Alejandro on social media, his bigoted cousin takes notice. JAKE. A loner and a burnout. He’s a quiet kid from a broken home. His mom’s boyfriend moves in and begins physically and emotionally abusing him and his sister. During a high school football game, Elijah comes across an Instagram post. It’s a photo of a ghoulish creature - a bald, emaciated kid with bulging black eyes, gray skin and rotting teeth. The caption reads, “he’s a funny boy #jellybean / repost to play with him.” Finding it amusing, Elijah reposts and encourages Alejandro to do the same. Olivia, Jake and Madeline follow suit. The hauntings begin. Jake loses his hair and teeth. Olivia receives a message from a mysterious man and arranges a meetup. Madeline and Alejandro are plagued by horrific visions of death. Elijah comes face-to-face with the creature and receives taunting text messages. The kids plan to convene at the annual fall festival during Jellybean’s favorite night of the year - October 30th, Mischief Night. Alejandro and Olivia never make it. Alejandro is kidnapped and beaten to death by his homophobic older cousin. Olivia gives birth to Jellybean in her bathtub. Pale and hairless, Jake has completed his transformation into a freakish Jellybean-like creature. He seeks vengeance against his mother’s boyfriend, shooting him dead at the fall festival. What starts as a public execution quickly turns into a mass shooting. Madeline voluntarily walks into the line of fire. Elijah grabs a pitchfork and tears through Jake’s esophagus, ending the carnage. Months later, Elijah, Madeline and Olivia are back at school. Still mourning the death of Alejandro, the traumatic experience has forever bonded the trio. A few lockers over, an unsuspecting freshman shares the Jellybean meme, starting the cycle of terror anew.