SYNOPSIS:

Stop Watch is a gritty supernatural thriller about second chances, fatherhood, and the cost of time itself. The story follows Stephan Watch, a formerly incarcerated Black father determined to rebuild his life and reclaim custody of his young son, Gabriel. Fresh out of prison, Stephan struggles to stay clean while navigating the brutal realities of halfway house politics, crushing child support debt, and the lure of fast money offered by dangerous ex-cons. His only ally is Angela Washington, a prison psychologist with her own secrets — including a mysterious connection to nature and an heirloom pocket watch she gifts to Stephan. But this is no ordinary timepiece. Once it fuses to Stephan’s chest, time itself begins to warp around him — moments slowing, rippling, or freezing altogether. As he’s pulled deeper into the halfway house’s criminal underworld, the watch’s true power — and price — reveal themselves. Each use demands something in return, threatening Stephan’s freedom, sanity, and the one thing he’s fighting to protect: his son. At its core, Stop Watch is the story of a father trying to keep a promise to his child while supernatural forces and systemic traps close in. To save Gabriel, Stephan must decide whether to survive by playing the system’s game — or risk everything by mastering time itself. Fresh Angle: Stop Watch fuses the grounded grit of Snowfall and Power with the high-concept tension of Watchmen and Severance. It examines timely, resonant issues — reentry after incarceration, cycles of systemic poverty, and the psychological weight of time stolen from Black families — all through a genre lens that’s both thrilling and marketable.

STOP WATCH