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A troubled MIT grad's quest for revenge against his father's killer—a corrupt nuclear plant manager—spirals into chaos and hallucinations, driven by pharmaceutical abuse and dark humor.

Synopsis
Aaron Lucas, a brilliant yet troubled MIT graduate, seeks vengeance against Sulley Tate, the corrupt manager of the nuclear power plant where his father heroically died. Just before graduation, Aaron builds a model nuclear weapon as a project, showcasing his exceptional talent. Hired at his father's old position by Tate as a favor, Aaron soon uncovers Tate's embezzlement, which has left the plant in disrepair.

Determined to bring justice for his father's death, Aaron manipulates Tate's daughter, Marva, and frames Tate for stealing plutonium by planting his model nuclear weapon in Tate's trunk. As the pressure mounts, Aaron abuses pharmaceuticals, causing hallucinations of his deceased father, blurring the lines between reality and vengeance.

Tate retaliates by framing Aaron, but Aaron outsmarts him by feigning ignorance and playing the role of a clueless pawn. The situation escalates as the bomb detonates, killing Tate and most others. Aaron and Marva survive, but she soon discovers Aaron's plot, leading to a tragic confrontation where she shoots Aaron and then herself.

Surviving the ordeal, Aaron is left unscathed in the eyes of the government. The film concludes with Aaron taking a job at another rundown plant, hinting at a potential repeat of his dark quest for justice. This darkly humorous tale merges science fiction elements with a descent into madness, exploring themes of revenge, corruption, and the consequences of unchecked ambition.

  • JZ Murdock
    Writer
    "Gumdrop", a short horror
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Number of Pages:
    47
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Writer Biography - JZ Murdock

Filmmaker, author, writer JZ Murdock co-founded LgN Productions in 1983 and revived it in 2016. His first film "Gumdrop", a short horror has won several awards and his current project, "Pvt. Ravel's Bolero" won more than a few awards so far on the film festival circuit.
His short horror screenplay, "Popsicle Death" was a finalist in 13Horror.com's screenplay contest in 2022.
His horror/comedy, "Gray & Lover The Hearth Tales Incident was semi-finalist in Circus Road Films screenplay contest in which three short screenplays were the basis for the overall portmanteau screenplay: "Sarah, "Popsicle Death", and "Poor Lord Ritchie's Answer".

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Writer Statement

Popsicle Death was originally a short story. This story/screenplay is also contained as a short story in Anthology of Evil (2014) and referenced in the film, "Gray and Lover The Hearth Tales Incident".