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Logline:
A man develops a heart condition and starts being haunted by a supernatural entity that scares people to death
Beat Sheet:
I open the movie with the main character seeing his doctor, we establish that he's recent;y had surgery and that he is experiencing weird hallucinations of sorts, which is acting on his worsening heart condition. The main character tells the doctor about his experience but the doc says that this is actually a common thing for people following a heart attack, its a subconscious fear or insecurity about their condition. The doctor keeps getting texts and has to leave the office for a bit, suspicious and unwilling to end their appointment the protagonist stays in the office and has a look through the doctor's files, finding other patients who underwent similar surgeries.
He gets home, experiences one of the scares, and looks up the other patients, each one having died from a heart attack - after the surgery.
There is one alive and he contacts him, they find they have had the same experiences and the other patient has adapted his life to live with the jump scares, they have apparently diminished in extremity and regularity. That patient says that he has a rare form of schizophrenia apparently.
The main character investigates into the doctor. It turns out the doctor made a deal with a demon to let him haunt patients with heart problems and kill them - collecting their souls - in return to be make the doctor irresistible to women.
He teams up with a past patient and a disgruntled nurse, both of whom seek revenge for the doctor's vagrant ways, and they corner the doctor. He explains himself to them and agrees to help fix the problem, but to do this he has to perform open heart surgery on those afflicted.
The climax is divided in two - 1) Open Heart Surgery with the constant threat of a jump scare and 2) the team splitting up and trying to bait the entity to jump scare them so they can kill it.
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Treatment (kind of):
We start with a heartbeat and V.O. on black, the man is describing his experience, fade In to a doctor walking the halls he has a clipboard and waves at nurses as he walks by, we fade out again and transition into the doctor's office, the doctor tells the man that this is perfectly normal for someone who has underwent a surgery of the nature that he has, it's simply the subconscious fear of another heart attack. The man says these things didn't happen while he was dreaming and it hurts, it's stress on his heart, he asks whether or not its happened to any of the doctor's other patients. The doctor says that it has, it's a symptom of going through something that shocking. A secretary pokes her head through and says the doctor has to see someone else, the doctor says he won't be long, the man asks what can be done about it. The doctor says its a psychological issue, nothing medicine can fix. The man says he's not sleeping, maybe the doctor can at the very least give him something for that. The doctor's phone buzzes, he looks at it and looks back at the man, he says he'll see if he can sort something out and tries to reschedule, asking when would suit the man to return. The man says he needs it now, he's scared of what will happen to him and he can't spend another night with that fear, it hurts more and more each time and he's afraid he'll have another heart attack. The doctor says that the man might need to just create less pressure for himself, take a break from work. The man rebuffs that it doesn't happen at work, it happens at home. The doctor's phone buzzes again, the man tells the doctor that if could just at least sleep he'd not have to deal with it, the doctor says he'll sort something out for him but that he has to leave now. The man says he paid for an hour, and the man won't be charged for the full hour the doctor says, he apologizes but he is very busy, the man should come back another time, he says he made a note and will get on it soon as possible (demonstrating him putting the note in his file cabinet). The man should just call for another appointment, the man is displeased, he says this appointment took a week to get, calling doesn't work, and if the problem isn't alleviated now he can't continue with his life. The doctor says that it's a personal matter anyway, not his area of expertise. The man says that his life is in danger, isn't that the doctor's area of expertise? The nurse pops her head back through and urges on the doctor, a pause, the nurse hovers and the man looks a bit defeated, the doctor asks the nurse how long it will take - she makes a comment that it should be fast (it's sexual), the doctor tells the man to wait there and relax he shouldn't be more that twenty minutes (? asking nurse). He leaves and tells the man he'll get him medication.
The man sits frustrated and looks at the filing cabinet, everything of the doctor is very well organised. He stands up and goes over and starts rummaging through the file cabinet, he finds the folders with heart attack patients. He sees some went through the same operation and there are others who complained about the monster. He takes pictures with his phone, a nurse passes the office but the blinds are closed, he finished snapping the pics, closes the cabinet, picks up his jacket and leaves the hospital, as he does so he passes a service cabinet, inside two people are going at it, the doctor's golden pen falls to the ground. The man walks through the hospital walls and thinks he sees something following him but he's unsure.
When he gets home the man experiences one of the jump scares and locks himself in his room where he starts googling the other patients he looked at. One after the other happens to have died of heart attacks soon after their surgeries, he does find one person who is still around. He has to take a piss and goes to use the toilet where he experiences another scare and has trouble with his heart.
He goes to visit the patient who is still alive, he finds that the man has experienced the same things that he has and have devised various strategies to avoid dying of fright, this apparently works. The man has odd habits - like not shaving or turning slowly - and his house is build in a weird way - it is void of reflections for one and is built in a square shape, lacking corners.
He talks to the past patient about maybe apprehending the doctor, but the patient refuses this request, he says that the doctor is too hard to reach and that he has tried before and have been subsequently banned from the hospital premises for making a scene. He was banned partly due to his anger at the time about the doc sleeping with his then-wife. The main character points out that he has more reason than anyone, but the man says he's tired and have found a way to live. The main character asks whether or not he would get it removed it he could, the patient says of course he would but that he will help him if he finds a better way.
The main character drives home, as he does so he drives past the hospital where he sees the nurse from the beginning running out of the building and crying. She stands at her car and he goes to talk to her. She reveals that the doctor and her had a relationship and that he cheated on her. This gives the protagonist the way in to interrogating the doc.
He has another jump scare at home and the next day they use the nurse to get inside the doctor's office, there the doctor reveals that he has made a deal with a demon in which he provides it with weak souls in exchange for being irresistible to women. During their heart operations he weaves in a string pattern into their hearts that attracts the demon and essentially curses them. He says he can fix this by taking it out again. The main character agrees to this.
The two finals scenes:
1) A suspenseful sequence in which the doctor and his two assistants operate open heart surgery on the main character with the constant threat of a jump scare looming over them - the character gets jump scared and cuts a vital artery killing the protag, during this he also accidentally cuts the demon with the scalpel though leading into:
2) The climax in which the remaining three characters decide to bait and kill the demon since it seems like it can be damaged, this means they have to put themselves into deliberately vulnerable situations to bring it out to play, the first thing they do for example is split up
At the end they kill it
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Locations I need:
- Doctor's Office
- Hospital
- Main character's home
- Past Patient's home
- Surgery Room
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''JUMP SCARE'' FIRST DRAFT by Bootje Myburgh
Over black we hear the sound of a slow heartbeat, it continues over:
THE MARINE (V.O.)
I get this feeling that there's something in the house with me, and not just at home, like it's following me everywhere I go and it's not just the presence, it's real, like I see it, like a hallucination--but a violent one Doc
FADE IN
INT. Hospital Halls
The Doctor is walking through the halls of a hospital, it's in slow motion, he has a clipboard in one hand and pockets a golden pen with the other, as he walks through the halls he nods to the nurses
THE MARINE (V.O.)
And I'm scared because it's causing a lot of stress on my heart, every time it's this visceral jump and I see this face come out of nowhere and there's this horrible screaming sound, it's like someone's playing a prank on me but it's, it's something evil--
The Doctor is sitting behind his desk, across from him is The Marine telling his story
THE MARINE
--it happens infrequently at any point in the day I just get this horrible chill down my spine, hear noises in the house and follow it and turn around, or look to the side or something and this evil-like, well just--face lunges out at me and every time that pressure on my heart returns like with my attack
THE DOCTOR
How many times has it happened now?
THE MARINE
Since my surgery last month, about four times, and it doesn't always go as far as a jump, but I've had that paranoia come over me way more times than that
THE DOCTOR
That's actually perfectly normal for someone who's just undergone a heart attack, especially someone who was as seemingly healthy as you, I've heard similar stories with many of my patients, it's not really a medical condition per se, it's shock - your brain is having trouble processing it and has created a subconscious fear of going through that experience again, there's not really much I can do to help, I'm afraid it's a psychological problem
THE MARINE
Yes doc, but it's not--I-I'm awake when these things happen, in fact I'm awake all the time now because I'm losing sleep because of it, maybe there's something wrong with my pills or maybe just, maybe you could just help relieve my sleep deprivation
THE DOCTOR
If you're not sleeping than that's the source of your troubles, after a while it becomes hard to tell the difference between being awake and not--
The Doctor's phone vibrates on the table and the screen lights up, he gives it a quick glance
THE MARINE
Hey Doc, it's just it didn't happen before the surgery, there must be something that you could....
THE DOCTOR
It really isn't my area of expertise, I could maybe get you medication for the insomnia, but the actual ailment that you seem to be suffering from comes from a psychological place, if you're not seeing anyone already I could recommend a psychiatrist to you?
THE MARINE
Your past patients, did they have the same experience as me, like did they see this thing too, or...
THE DOCTOR
Not exactl--similar experiences, as I said it's normal after such a traumatic exp--
There's a knock at the door and a nurse pops her head through:
THE NURSE
Doctor, I'm sorry but your needed urgently in the west wing
THE DOCTOR
Yes, I'll be right out
The Nurse nods and close the door again
THE DOCTOR
I'm sorry, I have to go, maybe we can reschedule this appointment?
THE MARINE
I'm afraid man, this thing is playing some serious games with my heart, it's getting worse everytime and it sounds like bullshit but you said it yourself, stress and fright can kill you, one of these days my heart's gonna stop
The Doctor's phone buzzes again, he picks it up this time:
THE DOCTOR
Tell you what, I'll make a note
He takes his gold pen and writes down on a pink post it note, he shows it to The Marine
THE DOCTOR
It says to get you something to help with the insomnia, and I'll put it right here in your file
He opens his file cabinet, which seems to be sorted by the type of ailment, and takes out The Marine's file and sticks the post-it note to it
THE DOCTOR
Next time you come I'll have that ready to go, but I have to leave now--
THE MARINE
This appointment took me a week to get and the attacks are getting worse, I'm gonna have another heart attack proper
THE DOCTOR
You're putting too much pressure on yourself, I've done what I can, what you need to do now is maybe just take a break from work, have some time off
THE MARINE
That doesn't help, it happens it home - I told you it happens everywhere I go, how am I supposed to go on with my life if this doesn't get fixed
THE DOCTOR
I don't know. And frankly it's not my problem, this is a personal matter that needs to be sorted with a psychological professional, it's not my area of expertise
His buzzes, there's the nurse's shadow at the door
THE MARINE
My life is in danger, how is that not your area of expertise?
The Nurse knocks
THE DOCTOR
I'm coming
THE MARINE
I'm not leaving until someone helps me
The Nurse enters again, she lingers in the doorway
THE NURSE
Doctor? Doctor you're needed urgently
The two men look at her
THE NURSE
It should be quick though...
THE DOCTOR
Okay, I'll be back in 20?
The Nurse confirms this with a thoughtful nod
THE DOCTOR
Yeah 20 minutes, if you don't mind waiting I'll come back with the pills you requested, how about that?
THE MARINE
Sure
The Doctor takes something out of his desk and starts for the door
THE DOCTOR
Okay then
He hurries to the door and the nurse excitedly exits into the hallway, on the way out The Doctor gives The Nurse a pinch in the butt and she giggles as they both walk away in a hurry
The Marine sits in silence, he's exhausted, he looks at the filing cabinet. His eyes light up a bit as an idea pops into his head.
He looks towards the door that was left ajar, gets up, pokes his head into the hallway and closes it gently.
He makes his way across the room to the filing cabinet, opens it where he saw his file, looks at his own file and the pink post-it, he looks at the other folders - they are all heart attack victims. They all seems to have undergone the same surgery as he did - he starts opening a could, only looking away to check over his shoulder as a shadow passes by the door. There are notes of similar experiences to what he had.
He starts taking photos of the other files with his phone.
The Marine closes the cabinet, picks up his jacket and exits the office, starting to walk down the hall. He walks past a service cabinet, inside of which there is rummaging, through the bottom of the door two sets of feet can be seen, pants down by the ankles, The Doctor's golden pen falls and rolls towards the door.
The Marine walks down the hallways, and looks around nervously, a shadow passes behind him, he keeps walking. In a reflection he sees something and as he walks past a hallway he sees another shadow, he ignores these and heads out of the building.
The Doctor walks back through the hallway, he's buttoning up his shirt, he walks past another nurse who looks at him and he looks back. The title shows as the music crescendos:
_Jump Scare
NOTE: (The opening scene is accompanied by music like Alfred Schinttke's String Quartet No. 2: I. Moderato with the title showing at it's peak)
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