When Indigenous girls vanish from a remote Canadian town its hypocritical mayor and a Native woman seeking escape join forces to uncover the mysterious evil feeding on the Highway of Tears.

SYNOPSIS:

WINNER: Best Feature Screenplay, Vancouver Horror Show 2022

OFFICIAL SELECTION: HorrOrigins Film Festival 2022

QUARTER-FINALIST: ScreenCraft Horror Competition 2023

QUARTER-FINALIST: Horror2Comic 2022

QUARTER-FINALIST: Filmmatic Horror Screenplay Awards 2023

QUARTER-FINALIST: Creative Screenwriters Unique Voices Competition 2023

SECOND ROUND: SYS's Six-Figure Screenplay Contest 2022

TOP HORROR SCRIPT: The Black List

8/10 on The Black List -- Reader Recommended

Since 1969 over 40 women and girls have vanished or been murdered on the ‘Highway of Tears,’ a 725-kilometer stretch of Highway 16 through the lonesome land of Northern British Columbia. The vast majority of these women were Indigenous. Indigenous women in Canada are six times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women. Estimates put the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women across Canada at up to 4,000.

HIGHWAY OF TEARS was previously optioned to a production company and is now available again.

Praise for HIGHWAY OF TEARS on The Black List where it was a "Top Horror Script":

“A superior horror movie that could excite indie producers. Elevated, low-budget horror in the vein of IT FOLLOWS, THE WITCH, and MIDSOMMAR, something producers are currently seeking . . . texture of a character-driven drama, which could appeal to actors . . . strong female roles, many of them for Indigenous actresses, and Bill could attract a marquee actor. The script delivers on an emotional level, getting the viewer to care about the characters, but it crucially delivers on the horror, as well, with one scene that rivals a notorious moment in BONE TOMAHAWK. The project has weight in that it tackles issues like racism and violence against women. This is commercial but could also garner strong reviews.”

"HIGHWAY OF TEARS is a well-contained horror film with a strong social commentary that could be successfully executed within a $5m budget level range and feels like a strong fit for producers who are looking for projects akin to IT FOLLOWS, THE WITCH, and WIND RIVER."

"The overarching premise is emotionally very piercing and presents a larger social commentary that can spark meaningful conversations and mirrors dark truths that are still happening within indigenous communities at large. The screenwriter beautifully interweaves this subject matter with complex mystery, drama, and horror elements that make this feel largely accessible to a wide audience."

"Setting-wise, the haunting visual imagery of the highway of tears, the forest surrounding it, and the backdrop of British Columbia were all visceral to see on the page. The dialogue work is also crisp and moves everything forward at a steady pace . . . . Additionally, the ending beats were such a piercing twist that is both haunting and memorable at the same time."

“There is a large audience for a drama like this with horror, thriller and mystery elements to broaden the script's appeal. . . . There are ripe character roles for high value talent and this has potential on VOD or streaming platforms with the opportunity for a theatrical release with star attachments.”

"A wonderfully unique and compelling supernatural thriller script . . . touches on some powerful themes surrounding racism of Indigenous people. The Highway of Tears is an immediately interesting backdrop for this story. . . . The descriptions of the creature are outstanding, and it is a terrifying and intriguing figure in this world. . . . The script does an effective job of balancing several different subplots, and maintaining the overall suspense."

“An unusually sensitive, intelligent horror movie, with thematic undercurrents of racism and misogyny. The characters are impressively well-developed.”

"Moves at a whip-fast pace and keeps the audience hooked and engaged throughout the entire read."

“The world and premise are unique and fresh, and the tone is beautifully dark and ominous (through the action/plot/characters/dialogue).”