It’s 1850. Two explorers form an unlikely friendship as they search the Arctic for a missing expedition. But can their new bond survive the discovery of its terrible fate?
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this is a brilliant screenplay. it’s rare to see drama and comedy woven so deftly into a story about something as delicate as colonialism. really thoughtful, insightful, and investigative writing. i feel like i know the characters like old friends.
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I just read the treatment. I’m intrigued. I’m hoping to grab some time and read the script.
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Hi Elias, thanks for your review! Couldn’t agree more. I felt like this presents a much more confronting story than, say, The Revenant. It offers so much more than a survival epic might.
vivid characterizations. this is a real epic. one for the ages.
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Excellent work, I hope this progresses and finds a way to production. I’m interested in how historically accurate it purports to be, because it mentioned an imagined encounter in there somewhere. Is the backdrop all real, the characters real, but the crossover fictional? Cool either way.
Hope you found the opportunity. Worthwhile!
A very good script. I didn’t think I would be drawn in by an 1850’s “buddy” movie on the artic ice, but I loved the characters! Congrats on the top 3! I think this edges out the other two for me, but all quality choices.
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It’s enjoyable to read, each dialogue. Script is nice. I would love to watch it in the movie, how really it would be directed, costumes everything..
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In my opinion, the script is sometimes overloaded with trials: the journey through the ice, hunger, cold, injuries, and rescues occasionally start to feel repetitive. Some episodes in the middle could be shortened to make the story move more tightly. Also, Abel’s storyline becomes almost horror-like toward the end, and his psychological motivation is not always as convincing as the relationship between Goodsir and Rae. A tighter middle section and more precise work on Abel would make the script even stronger.
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Thanks for the insightful feedback! Would be interested to hear the writer’s response if he happens to be lurking on the thread. I’m sure that one could spin it so that the repetition represents the hopeless monotony of their trek… if it felt like a breezy journey might we lose some of that despair.
I agree — the monotony of the trek does convey the horror of what is happening. I wouldn’t want the journey to feel easy or breezy. But for me, that monotony sometimes slows down the main dramatic intrigue: the transformation of a gentleman into a beast. Goodsir is moving toward that state, Rae has been there and returned, while Abel could not. I just wanted a little more modulation in the repeated ordeals so that each one pushed that transformation forward more sharply.
Great points! Thanks for the analysis and for reading the finalists. Less than a week before the winner is announced… I’m getting nervous!
I really liked this one. Its narrative effortlessly blends drama, dark comedy and horror. The research regarding the period setting and dialogue is pretty impressive. And the evolving relationship between Goodsir and Rae is pretty captivating, grounded and complex. Reminds me a lot of The Revenant, The Lighthouse, Brokeback Mountain and The Hills Have Eyes. Great work.
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