Logline: When a pre-teen Black boy and his family move into a strange house in an all-white neighborhood, he must fight the presence that lives inside using only his wits and the local public library to save his family.
Summary: James, a preteen Black boy, and his family move into a suspiciously cheap and extremely nice house in an all-white neighborhood. The pre-furnished home comes a gated yard, an attic filled with mysterious objects and a dark, web-filled basement.
And ghosts.
As the spirits in the house slowly take over James’ parents, he has to take on whatever is in the house alone. Using his wits, the public library and improvised weapons, James must survive, rescue his parents and rid his home of evil before evil takes his family.
Think "scary Home Alone, but the burglars are ghosts." This one is specifically written to be low-budget and has a very small cast, few locations and the scares can be done cheaply and within COVID-19 protocols quite easily.
This spec feature was written in 2021 and last updated in 2022.
Keywords: horror, Black lead, child lead, ghosts, magic, haunted house, low-budget
Concept art for “The Sideways Man” by Carlin Quinnell.
