A Reckoning

### A RECKONING

**LOGLINE**

In a desperate attempt to save their struggling community clinic, two idealistic friends are lured into a derelict warehouse under the pretense of salvaging equipment, only to walk into a violent confrontation with a territorial crew who control the city's forgotten spaces.

**SYNOPSIS**

In the cold, pre-dawn hours of a Winnipeg spring, LIA, a pragmatic skeptic, reluctantly follows her stubbornly hopeful friend, DOMINIC, on his latest half-baked scheme to save their neighborhood's underfunded clinic. Convinced by a mysterious new contact that they can "salvage" decommissioned medical equipment from an abandoned industrial warehouse, Dominic leads them to a side door he's been told will be left unlocked. Despite Lia's deep misgivings, born from a history of their good intentions leading to disaster, she enters the cavernous, decaying building with him. Inside, the oppressive silence and looming shadows heighten the tension as they search for the promised equipment. But just as they locate the area, Lia senses they are not alone. Their search is cut short when they are cornered by three menacing young men, led by a cold-eyed leader who makes it clear this was a setup. The promise of help was a lie, and their noble mission has devolved into a dangerous territorial standoff, forcing Lia to confront the brutal reality that good intentions are not enough to survive in the city's unforgiving underbelly.

**CHARACTER BREAKDOWN**

* **LIA (19):** Street-smart, pragmatic, and fiercely protective of Dominic. She is the anchor of the duo, her cynicism a shield forged from past failures. While she projects a tough exterior, her actions are driven by a deep loyalty and a genuine desire to help her community. Under extreme pressure, she has a unique coping mechanism of dissociating into poetic, almost cosmic observations, finding a strange clarity in chaos.

* **DOMINIC (19):** The heart of the operation. An earnest idealist whose hope is both his greatest strength and his most dangerous weakness. He is driven by a desperate, almost reckless need to save the clinic, making him susceptible to manipulation. He believes in the good of people, even when all evidence points to the contrary.

* **KAI (20s):** The tall, wiry leader of the crew in the warehouse. He is the embodiment of the city's hardened cynicism. Predatory, intelligent, and territorial, he views Lia and Dominic’s idealism as a weakness to be exploited. He is a gatekeeper to the city's forgotten resources, and he enforces his rule with quiet, menacing confidence.

**SCENE BEATS**

* **OPENING IMAGE:** The pre-dawn gloom of industrial Winnipeg. Worn sneakers splash through an oily puddle under a streetlight. This is a world of grit and decay.

* **A DESPERATE HOPE:** On a desolate street, LIA questions DOMINIC's plan. Their dialogue reveals a history of failed schemes and the high stakes: the survival of their local clinic. Lia is the voice of reason; Dom is the voice of blind hope.

* **THE PROMISE:** Dominic reveals the target: a derelict warehouse containing decommissioned medical equipment. He insists a new contact, someone who "believes" in their cause, has arranged it. He calls it "salvaging," not stealing.

* **THE THRESHOLD:** They arrive at a heavy steel door. Dominic produces a paperclip, but then admits the door was supposedly "left unlocked." This is the first major red flag for Lia. With a metallic CLICK, the lock gives way.

* **INTO THE BELLY OF THE BEAST:** Dominic pushes the door open, revealing a vast, dark, and cavernous space. The air is cold, heavy with the smell of dust, mildew, and old industry. They are small and vulnerable in the immense emptiness.

* **A TRESPASSING TENSION:** Using a phone flashlight, they navigate the derelict warehouse. The sound design is key: every footstep echoes, a distant drip of water, the scurry of unseen things in the shadows. The tension builds with every step deeper into the darkness.

* **THE DISCOVERY:** They reach the central bay. Dominic spots the tarpaulin-covered equipment they came for. But Lia’s attention is drawn to a glint of light in the shadows—the polished toe of a boot. She realizes they are not alone.

* **THE REVEAL:** The figures emerge from the shadows. Not one, but three young men, dressed in dark clothes. Their leader, KAI, steps forward, holding a heavy wrench. The trap is sprung.

* **THE CONFRONTATION:** Kai mocks their mission and their naivety ("Still trying to play saviours?"). The dialogue establishes that this was a deliberate setup. The space shrinks as Kai and his crew close in, their presence an overwhelming physical threat.

* **FINAL BEAT:** Lia, pushing past her fear, stands her ground, stating they came for what was promised. Kai scoffs at the idea of promises in their world. He steps closer, the threat of violence hanging thick in the air, leaving them in a tense, unresolved standoff. The world outside is waking up, completely oblivious to their plight.

**VISUAL STYLE**

* **CINEMATOGRAPHY:** The style will be grounded and visceral. Handheld camerawork during the walk-and-talk scenes will create a sense of immediacy and intimacy. Inside the warehouse, the camera will switch to slower, wider, more deliberate shots to emphasize the scale of the environment and the characters' isolation and vulnerability. Low angles will be used on Kai and his crew to make them appear more menacing.

* **LIGHTING:** A high-contrast, neo-noir aesthetic. The pre-dawn exteriors will be lit by the cold, lonely glow of streetlights on wet asphalt. Inside the warehouse, the primary light sources will be Dominic's single, shaky phone flashlight and the thin, watery shafts of morning sun piercing through grimy high windows. This will create deep pockets of shadow where threats can hide, making the darkness itself an antagonist.

* **COLOR PALETTE:** Heavily desaturated, dominated by cool tones—industrial greys, deep blues, and damp blacks. The only moments of color will be sickly and unnatural, like the "oily rainbow" in the puddle or the faded graffiti on the steel door, highlighting the urban decay.

* **PRODUCTION DESIGN:** The world is textured and tangible. Everything is worn, peeling, or rusting. The warehouse is a character—a tomb of forgotten industry, filled with debris, towering stacks of old pallets, and dormant, skeletal machinery. The environment should feel both immense and claustrophobic.