Surviving a traumatic experience doesn’t always mean you move on with your life. One may be haunted by the memories of the incident … for years or decades to come. Triggering events, nightmares, an inability to cope with everyday challenges – life becomes almost literal Hell.
And it’s that much worse when you feel responsible for the tragedy. Then guilt slips into the equation; building an ominous nest in your mind…
And that’s Larry’s situation. The wheelchair-bound protagonist of Thorsten Loo’s Beyond Treatment, Larry’s suffering a serious case of PTSD, following the violent murder of his wife. Larry’s troubles are mounting day by day: complaints about his outbursts threaten to have him committed. And his therapist has exhausted her standard techniques. Now, she’s at a complete loss. And Larry’s at his wit’s end:
Emilia lays her glasses down on the desk. Eyes him with worry lines on her forehead.
EMILIA
Really, Larry – I don’t know what else I could do for you. I’ve tried just about anything I could think of. I think you’re beyond treatment.
Or is he? Sometimes extreme problems demand radical solutions. Larry just might get through this.
There are a number of good films that tastefully capture the struggles of a person living with PTSD. For instance, The Deer Hunter, Jacob’s Ladder, Mystic River, Brothers and a personal favorite – spoiler alert! – Stay. In a related vein, Beyond Treatment focuses on what treatment could look like: everything that could go right…and wrong.
Interested in investigating that visually? Your audiences will appreciate the sensitive look at PTSD that Beyond Treatment provides. Not to mention a bit of something else: a script that’s totally engaging and provocative – with just the right dose of irony. And a twist of “fate’s” evil knife…
Pages: 7
Budget: Low to moderate. Needs a room where you can nail boards to the walls.