Synopsis

Synopsis

Scene 1: The Anderson Family Moves into a New House

The Anderson family is seen moving into a new house with their teenage kids in the sleepy town of Raleigh, North Carolina. Edmund drops his beautiful wife, Jessica, off at her new college. He turns off the car radio just as they hear news of a new COVID outbreak. Days later, Jessica is seen at her college, teaching her new students. The students ask about this new COVID sickness, as the virus is spreading quickly around the globe. Later that evening, Edmund and Jessica get drunk together and dismiss the news of the virus. However, later that night, Edmund receives a call from a friend in the government in Asia, warning him that it’s very serious and that he should prepare his family to move to a secure area. Edmund wakes up in the morning, having forgotten about his late-night call.

ACT 1
Scene 1: Slow Burn

As the days progress, news reports start trickling in about this COVID variant spreading more rapidly. Jessica takes a roll call and notices that over half her class is absent or sick. Later that day, there is a staff meeting among the teachers, who are all worried about how many students have fallen ill. Most of the college students in Jessica’s class are skeptical, dismissing it as another media scare.

Scene 3: The Illness

Edmund walks down his road; everything seems eerily quiet. He enters a restaurant and notices people coughing, many struggling to breathe. He steps outside and buys masks for his family from a local shop. As he exits, a man collapses on the pavement. In a scene reminiscent of an M. Night Shyamalan movie, he looks around and sees several ambulances driving past. The camera pans upwards. On his way back, he sees a long line forming around the church and buys an old radio, fiddling with different bands as he walks home.

Scene 4: The Change

Jessica returns home from college. She and Edmund talk in the kitchen, and she mentions how strange it is that half her class didn’t show up today. Edmund asks the kids to go to their room and tells Jessica that he feels something serious is happening. Jessica reassures him it’s just another COVID scare, with students using it as an excuse to skip class. But Edmund isn’t convinced—this feels different to him. They turn on the television.

Scene 5: The Realisation

The broadcasts issue severe warnings about people getting infected with a virus, showing increasing numbers of the afflicted. They seem to suggest that it’s the double-vaccinated who have become ill first. Jessica becomes worried, having vaccinated the kids, but Edmund admits he didn’t vaccinate them after all. Jessica is furious that he would endanger their kids and lie to her about it. But as we realise she herself is double-vaccinated, this only adds to her frustration. She decides to sleep with the kids, while Edmund sleeps on the couch, likely a bit worried about getting sick from his wife.

Scene 6: Breakfast for Champions

Edmund watches the news, where reports avoid using the word “zombie,” but the imagery of chaos and panic in some parts of the world is unmistakable. Military jets, helicopters, and tanks roll down the streets of Washington, D.C. He turns off the TV as his kids join him for breakfast. There is an awkward moment between Edmund and Jessica as they prepare breakfast for the children. The kids ask what he’s watching, and he quickly switches off the TV, followed by an uncomfortable silence. Jessica offers to take the kids to school, but Edmund snaps, insisting that he will. She is shocked but doesn’t quite realise the true reason. Jessica leaves for college and goes to kiss her husband goodbye, but he turns his head to avoid a kiss on the lips. Saddened by his actions, she leaves, slamming the door behind her.
Edmund, a finance executive, senses that something very serious is happening. He contacts friends on Wall Street, who reveal the true nature of the situation, telling him that the media has been instructed to hide the truth to avoid mass panic and buy time for government officials and other important public figures to escape the cities. They advise Edmund to leave North Carolina immediately before transportation and phone networks become overwhelmed. Edmund asks how long they have and is told they have only a couple of days. He is advised to get his family to an underground bunker in Utah or secure a spot on a cruise ship recently purchased by a tech billionaire in San Francisco — for $1 million per person.

The Turning

Scene 7: College Invasion

Edmund loads his kids into the car and starts driving them to school, still confused about what is going on and what to do. As he drives, he notices people standing in windows, lying in their gardens, or slowly walking on the streets. Edmund doesn’t seem to realise what’s happening, but his young daughter, Helen, does.

When they arrive at school, two fighter jets fly overhead. A priest is at the front gates, praying for people as parents arrive. Edmund is very unsure of what is happening. Suddenly, a crowd of parents runs from the school. He asks what’s happening, and the anticipation builds as parents become more hysterical. One parent runs by muttering, and Helen hears the word “zombies.” She asks her father what zombies are, mentioning that the lady was talking about them. We cut to the priest shouting, “The dead will walk the earth.” Edmund contemplates his next move, looking around as two ambulances and a fire truck race past. He tells his kids to get back in the car and follows the ambulances. He turns on the radio, hearing panic on every station. His kids seem scared, so he turns it off. They pass the church, where a huge crowd is trying to get inside. When they arrive at the hospital, a massive crowd has gathered outside, with more and more people rushing out of the building. He tells his kids to stay in the car as he goes to investigate.

Joining the crowd, Edmund notices hospital staff standing in a large group, staring at the front doors of the building. Army and news helicopters circle above. Nurses hold each other, crying as everyone is transfixed on the front doors. Edmund edges through the crowd, asking what’s going on, but everyone is in shock and can’t or won’t speak. He stands there, still with many of the hospital staff. There’s a huge gasp as he turns to the front doors again. The anticipation builds, then we see a slow reveal of a body walking past the window. Everyone screams in shock. Then, for the first time, we see an undead person walking into the front door windows. Nurses scream in the crowd. Edmund speaks to a doctor, who explains that the patient died six hours ago. Shocked, Edmund listens as the doctor reveals that every patient who has died in the last couple of hours due to the vaccine has risen as undead. The morgue is now alive. Edmund turns to see a number of undead bodies walking through the doorway. A man falls out of a top-floor window and crashes to the ground, covered in blood. Everyone in the crowd screams and runs. Edmund rushes back to the car; chaos is everywhere now. He checks on his twins and decides to head to Jessica’s college, where she works as a dance instructor.

Scene 8: College Descent

Edmund brings his two daughters and teenage son with him to the college. As they walk through the quad, they see a group of students surrounding a slow-moving zombie. As Edmund looks around, he notices more zombies walking in slow motion. Other people are running for their lives. Entering the college, Edmund and his kids find Jessica’s classroom. Inside, some students are gathered around a desk, watching social media videos of slow-walking zombies. Some students are visibly shocked, while others are laughing, joking about it being the end of the world or the next conspiracy after COVID. Jessica turns on the television and watches. Edmund knocks on her classroom window and waves. Jessica is shocked to see her husband and their three kids and leaves her students to meet them in the corridor. Angry, Jessica tells Edmund to go home, but he explains what he just witnessed at the hospital. He believes the world as they know it is coming to an end. These people are undead—they’ve died and come back to life. The doctor confirmed it. Jessica looks scared, and as she does, her nose starts to bleed. Shocked and feeling unwell, she invites Edmund and the kids into the classroom.

Jessica dabs her nose, trying to stop the bleeding. The room is transfixed on the television. The news reports are dire, but they avoid the obvious word, “zombie.” The students are shouting and screaming in fear, asking Jessica what they should do. Jessica looks at Edmund, who looks at his kids. “Honestly, I have no idea,” he admits. He explains that he was at the hospital earlier that morning, where the double-vaccinated patients had fallen very ill, died, and risen from the dead hours later. He looks at Jessica, who looks away and goes to her kids for comfort. Edmund tries to keep her from getting too close to them, but under the circumstances, he can’t do much. The students turn to Edmund, asking what they should do. They explain they are stuck at the college without their families, and many of their friends are also sick in bed. Some students deny this is even happening. Edmund has an idea and goes around the class of 11, asking who has been vaccinated. All deny it. Edmund reaches Jessica and decides not to ask, knowing the answer. Suddenly, there is a scream. They look out the window and see several young people walking slowly towards the classroom in the distance. The girls are hysterical.

What are we going to do? they shout.

We start to get to know the eight students in the classroom. One of the boys is on his phone and asks ChatGPT what to do. He says that if this really is a zombie apocalypse, the first things they need are food and guns. The students agree. A girl looks out of the window again, and there seem to be about 20 or so walking undead. Police sirens are heard everywhere, and helicopters are circling the town. There is a knock at the door, and another teacher comes in, hysterical.

They are everywhere ! she says.
Who? Jessica asks.
The fucking zombies. This is insane. This can’t be happening.
The atmosphere is tense. Edmond tells Jessica they are leaving. The classroom overhears him and asks if they can go with him.
Okay, well, whoever wants to come can join us. I suppose there’s power in numbers, he says.
The other teacher asks Jessica where they are going, and she replies, "To the local gun store." The other teacher, a comedian by nature, says he’s also coming with them.
The small group leaves the classroom. People are running everywhere, and as they move, we see slow walkers or even upside-down zombies crawling down the corridors.

As the students turn into one of the doorways, they are confronted by two zombies eating a poor Africian foreign exchange student. The other students scream in horror. Edmund asks Jessica where they store the buses, and they make their way to the sports fields. Students are seen running through the hallways, pushing over zombies, and some of the jocks are clubbing a member of the public to death, who is still in their pajamas. In fact, many of the zombies we see are in pajamas, nightwear, or hospital clothes. Jessica rushes inside the sports hall and grabs the keys for the minibus. Some of the students decide what they are going to do—some get on the minibus, while others panic and say they need to contact their relatives. Edmund tells his kids to get on the bus with Jessica.

We see Jessica looking and acting weaker and weaker. Edmund asks if she’s okay, and she says it’s nothing. He is worried about her, but he tells the students to hurry and get in the back of the minibus.

Emily Thompson (21): Emily’s leadership skills and ability to organize are crucial in a crisis. Her fashion sense might not be practical for survival, but her knack for rallying people and planning strategies helps the group stay coordinated. She leads efforts to secure safe locations and manages resources efficiently.

Sophia Wonder (20): Sophia’s creative and unconventional thinking is invaluable for solving problems and coming up with innovative survival solutions. Her artistic skills might help create distraction devices or makeshift traps. Her activism background means she’s adept at rallying people for a common cause, essential for maintaining morale.

Ava Mitchell (22): Ava’s charisma and ability to articulate complex ideas make her an effective negotiator and morale booster. Her experience in debate and political philosophy aids in making tough decisions and maintaining order within the group. Her strategic mindset is useful for planning defenses and navigating conflicts.

Isabella Reyes (19): Isabella’s fearless and rebellious nature makes her a daring scout and frontline fighter. Her deep interest in social justice drives her to protect vulnerable members of the group and challenge any authoritarian tendencies. Her unconventional approach also leads to creative solutions for dealing with zombies.

James Evans (22): James’s focus on aesthetics and art can be turned into practical applications, such as creating camouflage or designing effective signals. His charisma and ability to inspire others is crucial for keeping the group motivated and united. His creative thinking leads to ingenious ways of fortifying their shelter or escaping danger.

Li Wei (21): Li Wei’s analytical mind and knowledge of Eastern philosophy help the group think strategically and maintain psychological resilience. His calm demeanor under pressure is vital for making rational decisions in stressful situations. His focus on comparative studies provides insights into different survival strategies and philosophies.

Evan Carter (20): Evan’s deep focus on metaphysics and theory surprisingly aids in understanding the nature of the zombie outbreak and formulating long-term survival strategies. His detailed analysis skills help identify weaknesses in the zombies or devise complex plans for escape and defense. His nerdy enthusiasm is also a source of hope and intellectual stimulation for the group.

Professor Alan Wright (45): Professor Wright’s extensive knowledge of philosophy, combined with his eccentricity and storytelling skills, makes him a wise and entertaining mentor for the group. His ability to think outside the box and his engaging teaching style help in devising survival strategies and keeping the group’s spirits high. His experience in dealing with diverse philosophical perspectives also helps resolve conflicts and maintain harmony within the group.

Evan uses Google to instruct Edmund on where the nearest gun shop is. As they leave the college campus, people run up to the bus, banging on the windows. We now see faster-moving zombies as they pull away. The final scene is an aerial shot of the college, with hundreds of undead walking in the main quad. The drone camera zooms past them all, escaping from the college.

Edmund turns on the radio to try and get some news, but a famous track from the ’80s comes on. Edmund leaves the track on and turns it up. He hits the steering wheel and shouts, “We fucking got this! Bring it on: the zombie apocalypse, okay, let’s fucking go!!!” The bus shouts with him, and we get the feeling this crew might survive. As the bus drives down the road, the camera slowly moves over their faces, giving a slow pan of each face on the bus. When the camera reaches Jessica, we can see she is visibly shaking and pale.

The bus arrives at the gun store, but it’s shut. However, there are some people and police outside. They decide to break a window but are faced with the metal protection grids covering it. A trucker ties his metal chain around the windows and pulls the grid out. The students and locals walk into the store. As they’re looking at the different guns, they hear a noise upstairs. Suddenly, the atmosphere is hushed by one of the locals. The camera focuses on the door for a close-up. Suddenly, as the camera closes in on the door, it bursts open, and two inverted crawling zombies jump out on all fours. It’s the two owners of the store, both turned into inverted zombies. The students in the shop are all stunned as one of the zombies jumps on one of the locals, bringing them to the floor and biting them. The girls scream in terror. Each of the students tries to grab guns and then find bullets to fit the guns. There’s a comedic moment when no one can find the right bullets, and the atmosphere is hysterical. The zombies get closer to one of the college girls, who is screaming, “Shoot it! Shoot it!” “I can’t find the bullets!” one of the girls calls out. Edmund is on the floor, defending himself from a third granny-looking zombie and the teenage son, who have also come from upstairs. Suddenly, there’s a loud bang, and Edmund’s face is covered in blood. The camera pans around to the door, and we see an old grandma standing there with a pump-action shotgun. The girls cheer her on in disbelief and amazement! The granny says, “I’ve always hated my neighbors. I’ve been waiting to do that for decades, inbred hicks!”

Edmund and the girls laugh. The students pile up the minivan with as much ammunition and as many guns as possible. Jessica is with her kids in the car, and their teenage son is visibly excited with the girls and their guns. In fact, he turns, and we get a Reservoir Dogs-style slow motion of the girls, the granny, the gay student, and the teacher walking out of the shop with some locals. Everyone is armed to the teeth. The team gets into the minibus—they mean business. “Shopping. Food,” one of the students demands. Edmund starts the truck. The other students in the back are trying to call their parents and relatives. We hear stories and even people screaming on the other end.

Parents are desperate for the safety of their kids, unable to protect them. This brings the minibus to tears. Edmund drives to the nearest supermarket. The supermarket is overrun with locals and people stealing food. There is total chaos. Edmund tells Jessica to stay in the car and heads inside the store with the guys. She agrees but demands that he must get her some cheesy Cheerios and ice lollies for their kids. In fact, everyone gives him their favorite foods to get. He shouts at them, reminding them this is the zombie apocalypse and it’s not feeding time at the zoo. The list of makeup and lipstick from the girls is long. Again, he assures them and asks who they think they are going on dates with—the undead! He advises the girls to stay in the minivan as it could be dangerous inside.

Inside the store, there is a mix of zombies and people. There are scenes of panic as people clear the shelves and fight over food. In a comedic scene, Edmund fills the trolley with a shopping list as he drives past fallen people and even zombies eating people. He finally gets to his last order of cheesy Cheerios, and a fat lady is trying to take them all. She grabs them away from him, and remembering what his wife asked for, he pumps his shotgun and points it at her face. She mumbles, and Cheetos drop from her mouth. He takes all the Cheerios, puts them back in his cart, and calls the others to get a move on so they can leave. As this happens, we see another fast-moving crawling zombie; she’s eating from the meat counter but, upon seeing one of Edmund’s crew, jumps from the counter and runs inverted on all fours, jumping and biting the Asian student. Edmund takes his gun and blasts the inverted crawling zombie. The Asian student struggles on the floor, gets up, and tries to leave. Edmund regrets that he can’t join them. He can’t risk his family, he says, and leaves the shop with his crew. Edmund throws the food in the back of the bus and carries a pack of Cheerios for his wife. She takes the pack but is shocked to see all the blood. Edmund throws his twin girls’ teddy bears, but they too are covered in blood. The twins look at him in a strange way. Throughout the film, they keep asking funny questions like, “Daddy, why is that man eating the other man?” and Edmund always lies and has a funny answer for each question. On this occasion, he says the shop was out of Twinkies!

Edmund says, “Okay, where the fuck next on our Disney merry-go-round road trip through hell?” “This is fucking crazy,” he mutters under his breath. His twins ask him why he’s covered in red, and he tells them Daddy got covered in ketchup killing—I mean making—hotdogs. The girls cheer, “Yay, hotdogs!”

Jessica coughs, and Edmund asks if she’s okay. She looks away from him and their twins. The twins ask where they are going. Edmund says, “We’re going home.” He turns around and speaks to the minibus, “Guys, Alan didn’t make it. He got bitten inside, and we had to leave him. So, look, we’re going to hole up at our house for the night and then work out what the fuck to do in the morning. Is everyone okay with that?” Everyone looks around and agrees. “Okay, so that’s the plan. We’ll go home, eat, watch the news, and make a plan, or wait for the military or police to clear things up.”

The minibus pulls into their drive, but by this time it’s night, and there are hundreds of walking zombies now on the streets or people just lying in the open road. The bus drives past roads with a heavy police presence—it seems like the police are just protecting their own. The elder teacher says, “It’s every man for themselves or for their families. There’s no way a small local police force is going to protect us over their own families. And if most people have been vaccinated, that looks like…” The professor does some simple math and figures out that in the state of North Carolina, over 3 million people will be infected or turning in the next couple of days. It’s essential they get out to a desolate place…..however first they must survive the night, which is going to become a bloodbath.

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