When a crime family’s money disappears, five strangers lives
are set on a violent collision course in the middle of the desert.
The Story
In the dead of night, Wes, a man on the run, drives deep into the desert stopping at an unmarked grave. He takes a moment to grieve at the sight of a hand sticking up in the dirt with a happy face tattoo on the middle finger, the last resting place of his murdered love.
Wes pulls Matt- a former colleague- out of the trunk of the car and throws him into the grave. He puts Matt on the phone with their Boss, forcing him to lie about Wes’ survival. Wes kills Matt and returns to the car, driving off with a large duffel bag full of cash in the backseat.
Unable to stay awake,
Wes checks into a rundown motel, encountering new arrivals in the process;
A brother and sister: Shannon- a recently heartbroken musician- and Ashley- a trouble making gambler- on a road trip after Shannon was left at the altar by his fiance, Rita.
Shannon and Ashley explore the small desolate spot, hitting the only other sparks of life- a Diner and a small Bar- where they meet Gwen- a femme-fatale bounty hunter who’s owed payment- and Mags- a transient army brat bartender- who takes a liking to Ashley, forcing tensions to rise between she and her brother.
When The Boss realizes Wes has likely escaped, he sends in an enforcer:
Rambler
A giant of a man and professional cleaner- to sort out the situation.
As Rambler arrives and the night unfolds a quiet desert night snowballs into one of murder, torture and betrayal as it becomes clear there may be more happening than meets the eye and these people’s lives may be more connected than they ever could have imagined,
winding toward a twisting and gut-wrenchingly violent conclusion.
Closing Info
Deserted is a contained neo-noir crime thriller set against the unforgiving nightscape of the California desert. This twisting tale explores heartbreak, the hopelessness that can accompany addiction and reckoning with the consequences of one’s own actions amidst a night fraught with murder, betrayal, torture, and revenge. The small cast and contained nature of the film’s story make this film very producible and the characters each provide something rising actors can really sink their teeth into. It would also provide an opportunity for a name actor to step into the shoes of the Ominous Background Puppet master “The Boss” revealed in the final scenes of the film. Deserted is a Dark tale that will leave people talking.
The visual tone and style will be emblematic of iconic films in the genre such as “Blood Simple”, “Joyride”, “Only God Forgives” and “Drive”.
Contact Us
We are Scruff Brothers Films: a collaborative collective of creative professionals with a passion for storytelling and building a connection with our audiences in order to deliver emotionally engaging, thought provoking, entertainment experiences.