Answer Me...

 

...is a contained thriller with limited sets, a small cast and large ambitions.

 

LOGLINE:

To save his kidnapped wife, Darren must dig deep to escape a super-hacker who has trapped him in his office and can see his every move.

 

SYNOPSIS:

With a potentially career-making presentation looming, Darren knows that it will be a hectic day at work, so he is understandably annoyed when someone who claims to be conducting a study for her college psych class interrupts his preparation. Assured that the questionnaire will be brief, Darren agrees to participate only to be taken aback by her final question: If you caught your spouse with a lover, which one would you kill? Darren has no idea of the consequences of his answer. He has no idea that the life of his wife hangs in the balance. He especially doesn’t know that his questioner has been spying on his every move for weeks.

 

When Toni calls back, not only does she claim that Darren’s wife Molly has been cheating, but she has proof in the form of surveillance video. Along with this, she has hidden cameras in his office and can see his every move. Even more disturbing, she has kidnapped Molly and plans to kill her in accordance with Darren’s off-handed answer to her question.

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Over the course of the film, we learn many things about Darren, his wife and, most importantly, the woman named Toni who is conducting the study.

       I couldn't put it down! It was a quick, easy read (which is always a good sign) and it was very powerful! I actually loved it!

Denise Gossett, founder and director of Shriekfest: The Los Angeles Horror/Sci-fi Film Festival and Screenplay Competition

 

Answer Me is an incredibly original, intriguing, dark and twisted script. The premise is great, and the characters really jump off of the page. This fits nicely into the contained thriller flicks that have become increasingly more popular as of late, which notes its marketability. Its premise reminded me of SAW meets PANIC ROOM meets BURIED. The pacing was great, and the pages kept turning…. There is a certain poeticism to the dialogue written here. The dialogue reads true to the human voice, and I never found myself questioning plausibility. Additionally, there are tiny hits of comedic undertones in the dialogue, which is great to give the audience in such an intense script.

anonymous contest reader affiliated with The Austin Film Festival

 

This is the type of flick where dialogue makes it or breaks it, and in this case the whip-smart dialogue keeps the pace moving with rapid fire intensity, creating a hypnotic quality. The economical set-up and sparse narrative don't waste any time in establishing the characters and the storyline. The surveillance element gives the tone a creepy, measured quality. Toni clearly has the upper hand, but we are impressed that Jarrod manages to maintain his composure.

anonymous contest reader affiliated with the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting