When a trans teen hiding from her ultra-religious parents witnesses a crime she cannot ignore, she risks her own safety to protect a victim more vulnerable than herself.
Type:
Feature
Status:
For sale
Page Count:
85pp
Genre:
Thriller
Budget:
Independent
Age Rating:
13+
Synopsis/Details

After escaping from an anti-gay bootcamp and with nowhere else to go, trans teen RILEY secretly hides from her parents in the home of strangers SHERYL and KURT where one night she witnesses Kurt fondling himself on his 6 year-old daughter EMMA’s bed. Horrified, Riley moves the couple’s nanny cam into Emma’s room and catches Kurt in the act; but not before she’s chased out of the house by Kurt, who is later arrested when OFFICERS PEREZ and BURTON watch the nanny cam footage with a gobsmacked Sheryl.

At the police station, Sheryl sees Riley getting booked for trespassing. She also sees Riley’s dad, who turns out to be Officer Burton, make a scene at the station and take Riley. At home, Burton and MRS. BURTON lock Riley in the basement where she endures a priest’s ‘exorcism’ and electro-shock ‘therapy’ administered by her parents.

Near her breaking point, Riley fights back, escapes, and hides at Sheryl and Emma’s house. Burton finds her there and has a standoff with Sheryl, Riley, and a couple of cop colleagues, which leads to his and Mrs. Burton’s arrest. Soon after, Sheryl applies to foster Riley, and the last scene shows her watching Riley and Emma happily playing together in their living room.

All Accolades & Coverage

3 SemiFinalist Finishes in 2025:
Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition
StoryPros International Screenplay Contest
Emerging Screenwriters Thriller Screenplay Competition

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The Writer: Joel McElvaney

Midway through my education degree, on a lark, I paid for a screenwriting workshop from William Goldman ( Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ). At the end of the class, he handed me the first screenplay I'd ever held in my hand: Body Heat by Lawrence Kasdan ( Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire Strikes Back ). For many years, that screenplay sat on my shelf like a smoldering ember of possibility. It wasn't until I wrote my first feature script, while preparing to teach a screenwriting course to high school students, that the ember ignited a bright flame. I had discovered a new, long-delayed purpose: writing for the screen. Drawing on both my chaotic childhood and my years as a… Go to bio
Joel McElvaney's picture