Truth be told, this is more of a draft 1.5 because I started one about an evil hypnotist and would you believe it was even more convoluted than this draft I completed?
I really have no idea what works and what doesn’t. I know I love the vibe of the antagonist being a hypnotist who stays one step ahead of all the players, pulling all the strings.
I think this is a story about the illusion of control. That’s certainly what drives the fear and suspense in my mind. And I know this isn’t how hypnosis really works, trust me I’ve watched enough Penn & Teller’s Fool Us, but the idea that someone could crawl into your head and take over is super scary for a control freak like me.
Here’s what I need to know before I move on to draft 2:
Is the detective necessary? He came to me as a way of applying more pressure on Jacob but I’m just not sure he fits. Who or what would take his place as pressure to drive Jacob forward?
How do we feel about how the hypnosis spell is depicted? The way I imagine it in my head is that the frames before we go to this quiet beach are really kinetic and filled with energy and then it drops us into this calm, otherworldly setting.
Shoutout to the Japanese movie Cure, Penn & Teller’s Fool Us, Candyman and the wikipedia page for Svengali.
Dream Casting:
Jacob: Lakeith Stanfield, John Cho
Santé: Vincent Cassel, Matt Berry,
Matthews: Delroy Lindo, Walton Goggins,
Magic Club Owner: Joe Pesci