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Reeling from a tragic loss, an Irish intersex couple in Northern England must confront their traumatic pasts when an abused child is left in their care, inviting an unsettling supernatural presence into their lives. SERVANT meets THE VIRTUES.
SYNOPSIS:
In present-day Manchester, the late Winter of a new year dulls the city. White skies blot the Sun, robbing warmth to bestow chilling winds and rain. To those trapped by grief, it is a place and time deserved.
Hospital porter LOUIS ADAMS and teacher LILIAN BLAKE know this too well: their adopted daughter CAITLYN died suddenly six months ago. Wounds have only deepened from Louis’ trans sister NINA adopting her own teenage son SIMON, and devout father BARNEY planning to move in and disrupt their quiet lives.
Above all, the intersex couple are united in empathy, yet bound in guilt and shame, by Genital Mutilation suffered as children. The trauma lingers in infertility, reoccurring nightmares, and profound phantom pain.
Haunted by loss and buried in denial, Louis and Lilian are close to giving up on a family: it’s just not meant to be…
Until one weekend when androgynous child NOAH is left on their doorstep and their new neighbours commit ritualistic suicide, a bloodied goat's head resplendent before their burning corpses.
The police identify them as ARTHUR and DARA GRESS: two old friends and IVF surrogates, believed dead from a freak car accident seven years ago. Stranger still, their Will cites Louis and Lilian as Noah’s legal guardians.
Drawing on their adoptive childhoods, the stunned couple take on Noah’s care, assisted by their family and kindly social worker JOHN DAY. But Barney senses an unnerving presence in Noah…he may be right.
As Louis and Lilian adapt to their bizarre situation, striking similarities to their pasts appear in Noah’s body and spirit: identical scarring, fragile self-image, even shared nightmares. With Noah’s post-abuse behaviour manifesting in tragic self-punishment, Lilian seeks solace in spiritual teacher FRAN MOLOCH and John’s manager DOMINIC SHAWN, who encourage patience in Noah’s growth.
But when unsettling events begin seeping into their lives, bringing forth memories they’d rather forget, Louis confides in Barney, who discloses a worship scrapbook, suggesting Noah may be a cambion: a human-demon hybrid crafting unholy visions to feed off its hosts’ protection.
With occult scripture, animal-masked strangers, and Noah’s ‘punishment’ by apparitions of Caitlyn haunting their every turn, the seeds of distrust are planted and the couple clash: she urging rationality, he fearing otherworldly corruption. Addressing Noah’s humanity is undermined by unfurling paranoia: if Arthur and Dara faked their deaths, could Noah be the unborn IVF child conceived seven years ago? As the lines between supernatural influence and psychological fallout blur and threaten their lives, Louis and Lilian must face the long-buried traumas of their past to uncover the mystery behind their haunting...even if it kills them...
Inspired by supernatural horror and kitchen-sink social dramas both classic and contemporary, CAMBION explores how tragedies and traumas of the past threaten to control and overwhelm our futures, destroying the lives we hold dear.
A lost daughter haunting your every move in Don't Look Now.
The unease of a boy too different to be natural in The Omen.
The guilty comfort of rituals and vices in The Shining.
The buried truths you pray won't come to light in The Virtues.
The helplessness of beliefs being shredded to pieces by rhyme and rhetoric in The Wicker Man.
The shame you project on your child.
The dread of something unknown judging you without end.
The creeping thought you will never be free of the past.
CAMBION forces you to face that past.
Even if it kills you.
Gripping you with slow-burn character dynamics and thought-provoking social commentary, before jolting and terrifying you with nightmarish imagery and harrowing revelations, CAMBION is a horror miniseries for the 21st century.
Be enlightened. Be disturbed. And remember: your body is a safe place.
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Stage 32 1st Annual TV Drama Writing Contest - SEMI-FINALIST
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I was thinking that maybe replace "traumatic past" for "what" that traumatic past is, but not sure how you could explain in only few words. Maybe :
confront "losing their young daugter" when an abused...
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Thanks Rutger, losing their young daughter and the impact it has on them is a major point of the story. However, 'traumatic past' in this case goes beyond the daughter and more into what they suffered and survived as children, which resonates through the abused androgynous child they end up caring for (where the horror element comes into play). Thank you for the feedback though, much appreciated! :)
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I'm not clear what "sexually damaged" means. It could mean a lot of things. Film sounds interesting.
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Hi Dan, thank you for the feedback! In this context, 'sexually damaged' refers to trauma the lead protagonists have suffered as children, which continues impacting them in the present as they struggle to have a family of their own.
I will point out this is the pilot for a limited series; it did start as a feature, but I adapted the format as I felt it gave greater scope for character development.
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Sounds intriguing. Would love to give this a read. Going to start on it tonight!
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Wonderful! Thank you in advance for the read Sarahfina, I hope you enjoy :)
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The darkness of your story is evident, but every character is crippled in some way: IVF surrogates, androgynous child, genital Mutilation, you name it. It isn't easy to catch the story, who is opposing force. After the cleanup process, I assume this story could take flight.
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you do not need the words sexually damaged as it does not add to the logline and is confusing to the story In addition how is this story different or unique from the many other story which have the same premise!!!
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Thank you John! :)
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Thank you for the ratings! :)
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Thank you for the ratings everyone, much appreciated! :)
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Thank you Wilder! :)
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Thank you Mark :)
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I just started reading this and will finish it up later Nate. Great concept. Love the logline, but I agree, should take out the word sexually. Makes it easier to reach a larger audience without going into too much detail. Great work in tackling tough subject matter. Love your writing style.
Thank you for your feedback Mark, glad you like the style! I'll have another look at the logline :)
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Thanks Donte! :)
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Thank you Benjamin and Heather! :)
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Thank you Aubrey! :)
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Thank you Reenita! :)
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Thank you Gwynita! :)
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I love Servant! this is a really intriguing conceit. Well done!
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Thank you for the kind words Dayna, hopefully the pilot engages! :)
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Thank you so much Jane! :)
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Thank you Thoko! :)
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This sounds interesting. I downloaded the script and I will read that tonight.
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Thanks Tim, glad to hear you like the idea. Hopefully the pilot's a good read tonight for you :)
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This is imaginative, it has a M. Night Shyamalan feel, it can be confusing if you do not read the script from beginning to end because it switches from flaskbacks to present day and montages. I did like it. The intersex idea was different and how that story unfolded with the children.
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Thank you for the feedback Tim, I'm glad you like the feel of it - I'll have a review of the pilot to make sure it's all clear going forward :)
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Thank you Ed! :)
Thanks Steven! :)
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Thanks Joseph! :)
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Thank you Rodriquez, much appreciated! :)
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Thank you Ethan! :)
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Thank you Anton & Kevin! :D
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You're welcome! After reading your logline and synopsis, I took a look at the teaser part of your script. The goat head/body and wrecked car... great visual! Over the holidays, I will come back and read the rest.
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Thank you so much Kevin, glad the opening's hooked you in! :)
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Wow, thank you Brooklyn! :D
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Thank you Arthur :)
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Thanks Jeffrey! :)
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Thank you Suprio! :)
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Thank you for the great ratings Sarah, glad you like the loglines :D
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Thanks Jack! :)
Thank you so much Paul! :D
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Thank you Kalisha! :)
Thank you so much Gianis! :D
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Finally, a horror property that doesn't focus on cheap thrills and Hollywoodian tropes. My series focuses on trauma as well, without going too deep in the subject. My only worry is Noah's character developement. Hopefully, he's a bit more fleshed out than just a "demon child".
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Thank you Efrain and Marcel, very kind words! I can assure there is more story material than what's just available in the synopsis and script, Noah gets more character development throughout through the themes of generational trauma, so won't be just another 'demon child' trope :)
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Thank you Russell! :D
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Thank you so much Will! :D
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Thank you Diane! :D
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Thanks Adara! :)
What an an interesting premise for a horror story. It's quite unique, and obviously meaningful to you, Nate. I'm wondering if you were a little more specific and simplified the logline, it might be better. Something like: Reeling after the death of their adopted daughter, an Irish intersex couple in Northern England grapples with a malevolent presence when an abused child is left in their care.
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Thanks for the feedback Robin, that's a great idea for the logline, I'll take it onboard! :)
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So glad to be of help, Nate!
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I would love to watch this movie.
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Thank you Lakiesha, high praise indeed! :D Would love to see it as a TV series someday if lucky :)
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Thank you Ides! :)
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Thank you so much Emma! :D
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Thank you so much Grant and Robin, appreciate the ratings! :D
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Wow! I'd watch this
Thanks Sebastian! :D
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Thank you Michael! :)
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Thank you Imad! :)
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Thank you Keith! :)
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Thank you so much Erik! :D