All Accolades & Coverage
Concept: The concept presents three young men attempting to escape being drafted into the Vietnam war. They attempt to hide in the woods, but then find themselves being pursued by a monster. The premise is original, and executed well in this short.
Plot: The plot presents a strong narrative, as the monster bears down upon the three young men, chasing them from their campsite where they encounter some soldiers that offer insight about the origin of the monster.
Structure: The structure offers a well-paced and exciting horror film. The writing is excellent as the action builds in a way that brings the reader/audience into the world of the story.
Characters: The three original characters are fully developed. Their conversation leading up to the monster attack gives these characters individuality and complexity as they annoy each other with their ways of passing the time.
Dialogue: The dialogue feels authentic to the world of the story. Each character has their own unique voice, which is shown here with ease as the characters explore their conflicts with each other and with the situations they encounter.
Overall: Overall, this is a captivating script that unfolds the action in real time. The story begins by introducing the characters and their reason for being in the woods. There is conflict present between the three characters from the start, before they work together to investigate the noises they hear. The soldier that comes back to life and offers a single word of warning "Run" is a nice touch and helps the flow of the story ratchet up to an urgent pace. As Craig and Zach watch Allen's demise, the pace of the story continues to excel, up until Craig escapes the monster and Hyde and Tucker are introduced. The pace lulls for a bit, which is a good break for the audience until the monster reappears as they are inside the cave. I found no room for improvement in the script, and have nothing to suggest to make it better. This is a clean script that is written well and keeps the reader engaged until the eerie ending.
