Format
Feature
Genre
Mystery/Thriller
Rights
Available
logline
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In the wake of his son’s death, a journalist’s life spirals into chaos as a mysterious painting triggers horrific visions, leading him to uncover the dark secrets of his lineage.
synopsis
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A In the dark and foggy streets of Victorian London, a nightmare unfolds. Daniel, a 27-year-old journalist, is haunted by vivid dreams of gruesome murders he seems to commit with a curved knife. These terrifying visions are compounded by his real-life struggles: a recent breakup with his girlfriend Elena, the grief of losing their young son Christopher to illness, and the suffocating isolation he feels in his daily life.
show moreDaniel’s story begins with a harrowing nightmare where he sees himself walking through a dark street, approaching two women with their throats slit, holding a blood-stained knife. He wakes up drenched in sweat and disoriented, marking the start of another troubling day.
As Daniel navigates his life in modern-day London, he seeks solace in therapy with Doctor Tomkins. However, his sessions reveal more of his inner turmoil rather than provide comfort. Daniel’s relationship with Elena is strained, worsened by the shared grief over their son’s death and Daniel’s detachment, as he buries himself in his work to cope.
A turning point comes when Daniel’s estranged cousin Sebastian unexpectedly visits him. Sebastian’s arrival stirs up memories of their childhood and their mysterious family history. Despite the initial awkwardness, the two reconnect over shared memories and their difficult pasts. Sebastian’s presence brings a glimmer of hope to Daniel’s bleak existence.
The narrative deepens as Daniel and Sebastian unearth a dark secret linked to their family’s past. In a flashback, young Daniel and Sebastian discover a haunting painting in their father’s office: a dark figure with a curved knife. This painting, now in Daniel’s pos-session, seems to be the source of his nightmares. The discovery of the painting’s connection to a secret society called R.I.S.E. (Riches Inherited through Successive Eras) adds another layer of mystery.
Daniel’s quest for answers intensifies as he experiences more vivid and violent visions while staring at the painting. His desperate search leads him to an old blog post by a man claiming to have infiltrated R.I.S.E., hinting at the society’s malevolent activities. This revelation pushes Daniel further into a spiral of fear and obsession.
The tension escalates when Daniel, convinced the painting is cursed, decides it must be destroyed. However, after smashing it, he finds it mysteriously restored the next day, amplifying his terror and confusion. Sebastian, initially skeptical, starts believing Daniel as they dig deeper into their family’s history and the painting’s origins.
Their investigation uncovers that the painting has cursed their family for generations, driving members to madness and violence. Daniel’s nightmares are not just figments of his imagination but glimpses into the heinous acts committed by their ancestors, influ-enced by the dark power of the painting.
Elena’s involvement adds another emotional layer. Despite their separation, she becomes concerned for Daniel’s well-being, urged by Doctor Tomkins to reach out. Their meeting, however, ends in disappointment as Daniel’s insistence on the painting’s curse alienates Elena further. She believes Daniel is avoiding the real issues, deflecting his grief and guilt.
As Daniel’s mental state deteriorates, he experiences a series of visions where he sees through the eyes of a hooded figure com-mitting murders. These visions blur the lines between reality and nightmare, leaving him questioning his sanity. The figure in his visions is revealed to be connected to R.I.S.E., hinting at a broader and more sinister conspiracy.
The climax builds as Daniel and Sebastian confront the painting’s dark history, realizing it symbolizes their family’s legacy of violence and madness. They uncover that destroying the painting is not straightforward, as it seems to hold a supernatural power that resurrects itself.
In the gripping finale, Daniel, driven to the brink of madness, decides to confront the source of his torment head-on. The story leaves the audience in suspense, questioning whether Daniel can break free from the painting’s curse or if he will succumb to the same fate as his ancestors.
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