After a disobedient teen and her mom move to a small town, the family and a neighbor try to escape from a living house that wants a daughter, wife, and live-in maid.

SYNOPSIS:

Horror/Comedy feature script for option or sale

Picture "Monster House" as a live-action movie

Sub-genres: Contained Horror/Supernatural/Young Adult

Budget: Low ($3MM-$5MM)

Short Synopsis: A disobedient teenager named Julie and her mom, Andrea, move into a small-town house that’s alive. Knowing it’s alive, their new neighbor, Harriet, tells them they need to move out. The house introduces itself as Hank and says it wants Andrea and Julie to be its family; to replace its wife and daughter who died. They say no, so it locks them inside and says they’re not leaving. It tells Harriet she will be the family’s maid. Julie, Andrea, and Harriet try to escape, but the house prevents them from getting out. After Julie and Andrea find out about the house’s main weakness, they injure it and escape.

Full Synopsis:

At a small-town house that’s alive, a face appears on a wall and watches nature. The house cries because it doesn’t have a family to enjoy the beautiful summer day with.

A disobedient teen named Julie gets in trouble with the police while out with her best friend Cassidy – the reason Julie disobeys her mom. Scared that Julie will end up in prison or dead by hanging around Cassidy, Julie’s mom, Andrea, decides to move. Jack sells Andrea the house, secretly knowing it’s alive.

Julie and Andrea move in. Knowing it’s alive, their new neighbor, Harriet, tells them they need to move out. Julie spots a face on a carpet. The house introduces itself as Hank and says it wants Andrea and Julie to be its family; to replace its wife and daughter who died. They say no, so it locks them inside and says they’re not leaving. It tells Harriet she will be the family’s maid.

Julie, Andrea, and Harriet try to escape, but the house prevents them from getting out. As they rest, Harriet tells Julie stories from her past when Harriet was disobedient, including the consequences of her disobedience.

Harriet records proof on her bodycam that the house is alive; a bodycam she wears to record nature for her sick son who doesn’t go outside much.

Julie acts disobedient, which gets her hurt and puts Harriet in danger.

Andrea talks with Julie and Harriet about finding the house’s weakness, which will allow them to hurt it and escape. They go to the locked basement where Julie finds a journal. She reads about how Hank’s wife and daughter died, how the house became alive, Hank’s plan to get a woman and a teenage girl to move in, and one of the house’s weaknesses (random blackouts). Julie finds a body in an underground bedroom.

Julie tries to escape through a basement window, but the house knocks her out. After it captures everyone, it asks Julie and Andrea to be its family, but they refuse. It threatens to kill Harriet to change their minds. Andrea tells the house they will be its family under one condition: it has to let Harriet leave.

As the house is distracted, Andrea reads in the journal that the body belongs to Hank. She reads about the house’s main weakness: if the body gets hurt, the house gets hurt.

Julie remembers Harriet’s stories and the consequences. Julie tells Andrea she’s done being disobedient. They hurry to the underground bedroom. Julie obeys Andrea as they hurt the body with weapons and fight off the house that’s trying to stop them.

Julie lights the body on fire, which makes the house go berserk. Its doors and windows open and shut repeatedly, allowing Julie and Andrea to escape.

Two months later, Julie and Andrea live in a new, small-town house. Thanks to interviews Julie, Andrea, and Harriet are doing, proof on Harriet’s bodycam, the journal, and Jack’s confession, the world knows the house was alive. The screen door of the new house shakes and slams like the house is alive. It turns out to be the wind.

Why This Movie and Why Now?: I wrote this script because I wanted to write about teenage disobedience in a fun way. I also wanted to write something that was contained and low-budget. Why make this movie now? There are millions of disobedient teens around the world right now. This movie can change them (and they’ll be entertained by it too).

Thanks for hearing my pitch. A script treatment and a pitch deck are available. Message me on Stage 32 or email me with any questions.

Poster by Burhanaligfx (Fiverr.com). Teddy bear from Canva.com. Poster edited with Canva.com.

ESCAPE THE HOUSE