A Nickel-Plated Souvenir
Returning from a case that went sideways in Thunder Bay, a weary private investigator pieces together the facts on the long bus ride home. The bleak November landscape is a perfect mirror for the moral rot he just waded through.
# A Nickel-Plated Souvenir
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A world-weary private investigator, hired by a seemingly perfect wife to find her missing geologist husband, uncovers a cold-blooded murder plot connected to a secret, valuable mineral claim in the remote Canadian north.
## Themes
* **Deception vs. Reality:** The stark contrast between a carefully constructed facade of grief and the cold, calculated reality of murder.
* **Greed's Corrosion:** How the promise of immense wealth can erode morality, driving an individual to commit the ultimate betrayal.
* **The Silence of the North:** The vast, indifferent, and isolating winter landscape serves as a mirror for the protagonist's lonely pursuit of a cold, hard truth.
* **Meticulous Observation:** The power of noticing the small, overlooked details that unravel a seemingly perfect crime.
## Stakes
The stakes are Beaton's life, as he closes in on a ruthless killer who believes she has committed the perfect crime and will stop at nothing to protect her newfound wealth.
## Synopsis
BEATON, a cynical private investigator, is hired by the impeccably composed JANICE to find her husband, ROBERT, a geologist who has vanished from their upscale home in Thunder Bay. Beaton is immediately suspicious of Janice's flawless "distressed wife" performance and the almost sterile neatness of the home.
His initial investigation uncovers small but significant anomalies: a half-full glass of expensive whisky left on Robert's desk, and a dark, tacky stain on the garage floor that Janice dismisses as an oil leak. At Robert's mining company, a young colleague reveals a crucial piece of information Janice omitted: Robert was on the verge of a massive discovery, a private mineral claim for a rare and valuable ore that would have allowed him to retire.
Feigning defeat, Beaton boards a bus heading west, leading Janice to believe he has given up the case. Alone with his thoughts and the bleak winter landscape, he reviews the case files and grainy photos. The pieces suddenly click into place. The colleague had mentioned Robert was searching for Arsenopyrite, a mineral rich in arsenic. Beaton recalls a faint, metallic scent from the whisky glass. He realizes the stain in the garage wasn't oil or blood, but a slurry of crushed ore samples.
Beaton deduces the cold truth: Janice poisoned her husband with arsenic from his own samples, disposed of the body, and meticulously cleaned the scene. She hired Beaton not to find Robert, but to create a credible "missing person" narrative, giving her time to secure the rights to the lucrative claim. Now, hundreds of miles away, Beaton is the only person who knows the truth, and he understands that the seemingly simple case has become a dangerous game against a killer who has no idea he is closing in.
## Character Breakdown
* **BEATON (50s-60s):** A rumpled, world-weary PI. He is quiet, methodical, and deeply observant. His cynicism is a shield, forged from years of seeing the worst in people. He trusts facts, not feelings, and moves through the world with a quiet, unassuming persistence that belies a sharp intellect.
* **Psychological Arc:**
* **State at Start:** Professionally detached and cynical, viewing the case as just another predictable domestic lie to be unraveled for a paycheck.
* **State at End:** His professional cynicism sharpens into a focused, cold determination. He is no longer just solving a case; he is actively hunting a killer, fully aware that his knowledge has made him a target.
* **JANICE (40s):** The antagonist. A cool, beautiful, and calculating woman. She is a consummate performer, able to project an aura of class, vulnerability, and grief while hiding a core of pure, ruthless ambition. Her expensive perfume and perfectly manicured nails are part of her armor.
* **ROBERT (50s):** (Seen only in photographs). A mild-mannered, brilliant geologist who looks tired and worn down by life. A loner whose passion for his work ultimately became the instrument of his death.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE PERFECT CLIENT:** Beaton sits in Janice's showroom-perfect living room. She gives her flawless performance, dabbing at dry eyes. Beaton's gaze drifts, taking in the details. He examines Robert's office—too neat—and sniffs the faint metallic scent in the whisky glass. In the garage, he touches the tacky, not-oily, stain on the floor.
2. **THE MISSING PIECE:** At the mining company, a young geologist speaks of Robert with admiration. He tells Beaton about Robert's secret side project—the "big one"—and mentions the specific, valuable mineral he was after: Arsenopyrite.
3. **THE LONG RIDE:** On a bus, traveling through a bleak, grey, snow-covered landscape. Beaton is isolated, surrounded by the quiet hum of the engine. He lays out the grainy photos on the empty seat beside him, his face a mask of concentration.
4. **THE CLICK:** A montage of revelatory flashes cut together: The tacky stain on the concrete. The colleague's voice saying "Arsenopyrite." The glint of the whisky glass. The faint metallic smell. Janice's calculating smile. Beaton’s eyes show a flicker of understanding. The lock has tumbled open.
5. **THE COLD TRUTH:** Beaton looks out the bus window at the indifferent, frozen landscape. The full scope of Janice's plan settles in his mind. She poisoned him, cleaned up, and hired him as a dupe. He knows she thinks she's safe. The quiet tension is palpable; he holds a deadly truth, and he is a long way from anywhere.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style is stark and desaturated, reflecting the cold, unforgiving Northern Ontario winter. The color palette is dominated by greys, whites, and muted blues, creating a world leached of warmth. The cinematography will employ static, observant shots and slow, deliberate pans, mirroring Beaton's methodical nature. Extreme close-ups will isolate key clues: the amber liquid in the glass, the texture of the stain, the weave of Janice's handkerchief.
The tone is a slow-burn, atmospheric neo-noir. It is tense, quiet, and melancholic, focusing on psychological detail over action. Tonal comparisons include the atmospheric tension of *Wind River* and the methodical, detail-oriented procedural nature of *Zodiac*, all set against a starkly beautiful but isolating landscape.
**Format:** Short Film / Anthology Episode | **Est. Length:** 10-12 minutes
## Logline
A world-weary private investigator, hired by a seemingly perfect wife to find her missing geologist husband, uncovers a cold-blooded murder plot connected to a secret, valuable mineral claim in the remote Canadian north.
## Themes
* **Deception vs. Reality:** The stark contrast between a carefully constructed facade of grief and the cold, calculated reality of murder.
* **Greed's Corrosion:** How the promise of immense wealth can erode morality, driving an individual to commit the ultimate betrayal.
* **The Silence of the North:** The vast, indifferent, and isolating winter landscape serves as a mirror for the protagonist's lonely pursuit of a cold, hard truth.
* **Meticulous Observation:** The power of noticing the small, overlooked details that unravel a seemingly perfect crime.
## Stakes
The stakes are Beaton's life, as he closes in on a ruthless killer who believes she has committed the perfect crime and will stop at nothing to protect her newfound wealth.
## Synopsis
BEATON, a cynical private investigator, is hired by the impeccably composed JANICE to find her husband, ROBERT, a geologist who has vanished from their upscale home in Thunder Bay. Beaton is immediately suspicious of Janice's flawless "distressed wife" performance and the almost sterile neatness of the home.
His initial investigation uncovers small but significant anomalies: a half-full glass of expensive whisky left on Robert's desk, and a dark, tacky stain on the garage floor that Janice dismisses as an oil leak. At Robert's mining company, a young colleague reveals a crucial piece of information Janice omitted: Robert was on the verge of a massive discovery, a private mineral claim for a rare and valuable ore that would have allowed him to retire.
Feigning defeat, Beaton boards a bus heading west, leading Janice to believe he has given up the case. Alone with his thoughts and the bleak winter landscape, he reviews the case files and grainy photos. The pieces suddenly click into place. The colleague had mentioned Robert was searching for Arsenopyrite, a mineral rich in arsenic. Beaton recalls a faint, metallic scent from the whisky glass. He realizes the stain in the garage wasn't oil or blood, but a slurry of crushed ore samples.
Beaton deduces the cold truth: Janice poisoned her husband with arsenic from his own samples, disposed of the body, and meticulously cleaned the scene. She hired Beaton not to find Robert, but to create a credible "missing person" narrative, giving her time to secure the rights to the lucrative claim. Now, hundreds of miles away, Beaton is the only person who knows the truth, and he understands that the seemingly simple case has become a dangerous game against a killer who has no idea he is closing in.
## Character Breakdown
* **BEATON (50s-60s):** A rumpled, world-weary PI. He is quiet, methodical, and deeply observant. His cynicism is a shield, forged from years of seeing the worst in people. He trusts facts, not feelings, and moves through the world with a quiet, unassuming persistence that belies a sharp intellect.
* **Psychological Arc:**
* **State at Start:** Professionally detached and cynical, viewing the case as just another predictable domestic lie to be unraveled for a paycheck.
* **State at End:** His professional cynicism sharpens into a focused, cold determination. He is no longer just solving a case; he is actively hunting a killer, fully aware that his knowledge has made him a target.
* **JANICE (40s):** The antagonist. A cool, beautiful, and calculating woman. She is a consummate performer, able to project an aura of class, vulnerability, and grief while hiding a core of pure, ruthless ambition. Her expensive perfume and perfectly manicured nails are part of her armor.
* **ROBERT (50s):** (Seen only in photographs). A mild-mannered, brilliant geologist who looks tired and worn down by life. A loner whose passion for his work ultimately became the instrument of his death.
## Scene Beats
1. **THE PERFECT CLIENT:** Beaton sits in Janice's showroom-perfect living room. She gives her flawless performance, dabbing at dry eyes. Beaton's gaze drifts, taking in the details. He examines Robert's office—too neat—and sniffs the faint metallic scent in the whisky glass. In the garage, he touches the tacky, not-oily, stain on the floor.
2. **THE MISSING PIECE:** At the mining company, a young geologist speaks of Robert with admiration. He tells Beaton about Robert's secret side project—the "big one"—and mentions the specific, valuable mineral he was after: Arsenopyrite.
3. **THE LONG RIDE:** On a bus, traveling through a bleak, grey, snow-covered landscape. Beaton is isolated, surrounded by the quiet hum of the engine. He lays out the grainy photos on the empty seat beside him, his face a mask of concentration.
4. **THE CLICK:** A montage of revelatory flashes cut together: The tacky stain on the concrete. The colleague's voice saying "Arsenopyrite." The glint of the whisky glass. The faint metallic smell. Janice's calculating smile. Beaton’s eyes show a flicker of understanding. The lock has tumbled open.
5. **THE COLD TRUTH:** Beaton looks out the bus window at the indifferent, frozen landscape. The full scope of Janice's plan settles in his mind. She poisoned him, cleaned up, and hired him as a dupe. He knows she thinks she's safe. The quiet tension is palpable; he holds a deadly truth, and he is a long way from anywhere.
## Visual Style & Tone
The visual style is stark and desaturated, reflecting the cold, unforgiving Northern Ontario winter. The color palette is dominated by greys, whites, and muted blues, creating a world leached of warmth. The cinematography will employ static, observant shots and slow, deliberate pans, mirroring Beaton's methodical nature. Extreme close-ups will isolate key clues: the amber liquid in the glass, the texture of the stain, the weave of Janice's handkerchief.
The tone is a slow-burn, atmospheric neo-noir. It is tense, quiet, and melancholic, focusing on psychological detail over action. Tonal comparisons include the atmospheric tension of *Wind River* and the methodical, detail-oriented procedural nature of *Zodiac*, all set against a starkly beautiful but isolating landscape.