A Shadow in the Hills
Feature film (Fantasy / Thriller)
Accolade:
Quarterfinalist, Final Draft Big Break screenwriting competition (12,000+ international entries)
Logline:
When an American woman pulls an ancient amulet from a stone in a Northumbrian village, she becomes the only thing standing between a brotherhood of sorcerers and the demon they intend to resurrect.
Synopsis:
Alicia Cole is an unfiltered American in her late twenties who moves to a remote Northumbrian village looking for a fresh start. But a visit to a local stately home goes wrong when she unwittingly pulls an ancient amulet from a stone. Along with the artefact, she inherits a terrifying set of powers she cannot control.
It turns out a hidden brotherhood of sorcerers has been waiting centuries for the amulet to surface. They plan to destroy it and use Alicia as a blood sacrifice to resurrect the demon imprisoned beneath the valley. Hunted by the cult, Alicia is forced to rely on an eccentric village healer while navigating a dangerous romantic tug-of-war. She finds herself torn between Damien, a suave London financier who offers an easy escape, and James, the infuriatingly arrogant Earl of Northumbria.
When a brutal betrayal reveals the charming financier is actually her greatest threat, Alicia is pushed into a final confrontation. Forced to fight alongside the prickly aristocrat she once despised, she must figure out how to weaponise her magic to stop the resurrection, or the village will be wiped off the map.
Themes:
The core of the story explores what happens when a cynical outsider is forced to trust a makeshift family. The film grounds its high-stakes magic in the gritty atmosphere of rural Northumberland. The fantasy elements play out against a backdrop of crumbling estates and an insular village community inherently suspicious of strangers.
Format:
Feature film (approx. 110 minutes)
Genre: Fantasy thriller with action-adventure elements
Setting: Contemporary rural Northumberland, UK
Tone:
Atmospheric and high-stakes. A dark fantasy thriller grounded by a cynical, modern edge.
Full script available on request.
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