An excerpt from my script review for Lights Out which will be available 07/25/16:
2.) Plot Stability
Liked it.
It was well written, and kept moving.
Diana was always after Sophie’s son and daughter, pretty important for the story, so there was minimal down time.
My main concern when I started, was that some of the horror scripts I’ve read take too long to get into it.
Not here.
We see Diana (referred to initially as simply a shadow/silhouette) in the very first scene.
The rules under which she operates are also set up right at the get go.
That’s crucial.
I remember giving someone notes on a ghost script, and one of the major issues I had was that the ghosts didn’t really seem to follow any set of rules or conditions.
Sometimes they were tangible, other times they weren’t. Sometimes they interacted with the characters, other times they couldn’t see them.
All very confusing, and it’s critical that you lay the groundwork very early on what your monster is, how it operates, and hints at how to stop the “beast”.
Anyway, Diana’s out to kill anyone that tries to get Sophie back on her meds, which then eliminates Diana’s physical form.
So what are Diana’s “rules”?
She can’t attack/be seen in the light, BUT she gets closer in the darkness.
Each time you turn a light off and on, she gets closer. Not exactly explainable, but pretty creepy.
Overall, this script was a fun read, especially if you’re entertaining the idea of writing a horror script yourself.
It moved, it handled background well, and I’m glad it got made based on the solid story.
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