The Shuttered Room Screenplay

By Charles Jay Harwood

A screenplay adaptation of the bestselling thriller.

Little do they know their captive holds a deadly secret.

Jess is taken hostage and incarcerated in an upstairs room by three thugs demanding a huge ransom from her rich father.

In a bid to escape, she cuts a hole in the bedroom floor with a cutlery knife. From there, Jess observes the three of them going about their everyday business.

That’s when she starts playing games with them. That’s when her spying pulls her into a treacherous psychological game with her abductors.

If only they knew what their captive was up to. What would they do to her?

An unforgettable thriller, this screenplay runs approximately 100 minutes. Specially formatted for ereaders, available also on paperback. Includes a character list and guide to reading a screenplay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles Jay Harwood
• Release date: Apr 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310631214

Charles Jay Harwood

Writes psychological thrillers on the human condition pushed to murky realms. Themes to be found include abduction, gambling, alcoholism, insomnia, voyeurism, psychosis, neuroses, peer pressure and narcissism. Author’s works include The Shuttered Room, Falling Awake, A Hard Lesson and Nora. Writes screenplays and a blog, Writers’ Remedies.

Book preview

THE SHUTTERED ROOM SCREENPLAY

Charles Jay Harwood

Adapted from the novel of the same name

Author’s Thrillers

This edition 24 May 2017. All rights reserved. The Right of Charles Jay Harwood to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 Section 77 and 78.

First published in © 2014 by C J H Publications ISBN 9781310631214

Italics: denotes action and description.

Bold: denotes character cue.

Normal black: denotes dialogue

Contents

Beginning

Guide to reading this screenplay

Character list

THE SHUTTERED ROOM

FADE IN:

EXT. A WOODED PARK - EVENING - TRAVELLING

View looking down onto JESS’S shoes striding across the grass. Pop music can be heard through her Ipod. We glimpse her skirt, a shoulder bag and Jess’s arms in pendulum motion. The view lifts to eyelevel.

We see a view of trees, distant buildings, play areas and dog-walkers.

We hear Jess’s voice moan along to the lyrics.

A thicket closes in ahead.

JAKE and JUSTIN emerge from nowhere. Hoods conceal their faces; both average in height and build, one slightly taller than the other.

A paper bag obscures the view to black. The music stops.

JAKE (O.S.)

Don’t fuckin’ make a sound.

Jess whimpers. Her movements are jerky and hurried.

A diesel engine rattles into life. Rave music belts out, male voices converse. The ride is jerky.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The bag is removed. We see a Spartan bedroom. Shutters screen the window. A mattress lies in the corner. The walls and floor are plain.

The two hoodies in ski-masks scrutinise her.

JAKE

You’re gonna to be stopping here a little while, understand? Don’t try nothin’ clever.

THE SAME - CONTINUOUS

We see Jess for the first time. She is in her early thirties with shoulder-length hair. She nods jerkily.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Jess is sitting motionless on the mattress, knees up. She stares ahead traumatised.

MONTAGE:

A) Takeaway food on a tray slams at Jess’s feet. Justin in a ski-mask leaves the room, humming.

B) Jess scratches a second line onto the wall with a plastic cutlery knife.

C) Another tray of takeaway food slams at Jess’s feet. Jess picks at the goo and lets it drop onto the plate.

D) Jess peeks out between the shutters at the window.

E) Jess pushes a can of coke across the floor. The room is littered with fast-food wrappings.

INT. BEDROOM - DAY

A tray of takeaway food slams at Jess’s feet.

Jess appraises Jake in the ski-mask.

JESS

You’ll never get away with this.

Jake looks at her.

JESS (CONT’D)

My parents will never give in to cowardly thugs like you. You won’t get a penny.

Jake merely pauses before he leaves.

INT. BATHROOM - DAY

Jess takes a cloth and marigolds. A knock comes to the door. It is KIA, Jake’s dolly-bird girlfriend.

KIA (O.S.)

Get a move on, will ya!

Jess leaves the bathroom.

INT. BEDROOM – MOMENTS LATER

Jess dons marigolds and dumps the fast-food wrappings into bin bags. She gives the room a clean.

THE SAME - LATER

A tray of takeaway food slams at Jess’s feet.

THE SAME - CONTINUOUS

Jess looks at Jake in the ski-mask. She pushes the tray away.

Jake moves to stand. Jess pulls the ski-mask off as he does so. We see Jake for the first time: in his late twenties, a lean, angular face, collar-length dark hair.

Jake glares at her. Jess flinches at what she sees.

INT. BEDROOM - DAY

Jess listens at the door. We hear muffled voices, the toilet flushes.

THE SAME - LATER

A tray of takeaway food slams at Jess’s feet.

THE SAME - CONTINUOUS

Jess is sitting on the mattress. She glowers at Jake who is about to leave.

JESS

I’m going to have a field-day with the photo-fit people. Jake, isn’t it?

Jess lifts a plastic fork.

JESS (CONT’D)

Please…can’t you at least provide proper cutlery? And I’m beginning to smell.

THE SAME - LATER

Folded jeans and T-shirts fall onto the bed.

INT. BATHROOM - DAY

Jess has finished washing herself at the sink. She pulls on the jeans and T-shirt.

She turns.

THE SAME - CONTINUOUS

We see a pair of trainers on the floor. A knock comes to the door.

THE SAME - CONTINUOUS

Jess kneels down next to the trainers. She holds them against her feet.

JESS

Just a minute!

Jess squashes them together and stuffs them under her T-shirt.

INT. HALLWAY – MOMENTS LATER

Jess emerges from the bathroom, arms across her middle. Kia stands at the doorway staring into space chewing impatiently. She is in her mid-twenties, a high-maintenance type.

Jess walks through the bedroom door.

INT. BEDROOM - DAY

A tray of takeaway food slams at Jess’s feet.

THE SAME - CONTINUOUS

We see Justin’s face for the first time. He is mid-twenties, portly with spiky hair