RIP THE SHADOWS

When a serene shamanic therapy brings back the missing pieces of a profiler's childhood trauma, she and a determined lieutenant must untangle a decades-old frame-up that links a local power player to a chain of murders — while a dying, charismatic killer plays judge, jury and executioner.

See other logline suggestions

Overview

Poster
Unique Selling Point

The script's unique selling proposition lies in its intricate exploration of the supernatural and psychological elements that shape the protagonist's journey. The script seamlessly blends elements of thriller, drama, and even a touch of horror, creating a multi-layered narrative that delves deep into the human psyche. The script's exploration of the complex relationship between the protagonist and her mother, as well as the incorporation of the "Jack" character as a supernatural entity, sets it apart from more conventional thrillers. The script's compelling character development and the way it tackles themes of trauma, identity, and the cycle of abuse make it a standout in the genre.

AI Verdict & Suggestions

Ratings are subjective. So you get different engines' ratings to compare.

Hover over verdict cards for Executive Summaries

GPT5
 Recommend
Gemini
 Consider
Grok
 Consider
DeepSeek
 Consider
Claude
 Recommend
Average Score: 7.5
Key Takeaways
For the Writer:
Focus on tightening the procedural elements to ensure investigative logic feels realistic and believable, while clearly defining the supernatural rules—such as how spirit possession and soul loss operate—to avoid tonal confusion and better integrate them with the psychological drama. Streamline pacing in the middle act by condensing repetitive investigative scenes and deepen secondary character motivations to enhance emotional resonance, ultimately strengthening the script's cohesive narrative and character-driven core.
For Executives:
The script has solid market potential with its unique fusion of procedural thriller and supernatural elements, offering emotional depth that could attract fans of films like 'Se7en' or 'The Sixth Sense', but risks include genre confusion and pacing drags that might limit broad appeal. Revisions are crucial to clarify the supernatural aspects and tighten the plot for commercial viability, as unresolved elements could alienate audiences or hinder production, though the strong protagonist arc and thematic richness provide a compelling hook for niche buyers.
Story Facts
Genres:
Thriller 40% Crime 30% Drama 40% Action 15%

Setting: Present day, Sacramento, California, and Logan, West Virginia

Themes: The Impact of Childhood Trauma and Its Lingering Effects, The Pursuit of Truth and Justice, Identity and Duality, Grief and Loss, The Corrupting Influence of Power and Secrecy, Redemption and Healing, The Nature of Evil

Conflict & Stakes: Jill's struggle to uncover the truth about her mother's murder while confronting her own traumatic past, with the stakes involving her safety and the potential for justice.

Mood: Tense and suspenseful, with moments of introspection and emotional depth.

Standout Features:

  • Unique Hook: The intertwining of a psychological thriller with elements of shamanism and spiritual healing.
  • Major Twist: The revelation of Jack's true identity and his connection to Jill's past, which adds layers to the narrative.
  • Distinctive Setting: The contrast between urban Sacramento and the rural, haunting landscapes of Logan, West Virginia.
  • Innovative Ideas: The use of flashbacks and dream sequences to explore trauma and memory, enhancing the psychological depth.
  • Unique Characters: Complex characters like Jill and Jack, whose intertwined fates drive the emotional core of the story.

Comparable Scripts: The Silence of the Lambs, Seven, Mindhunter, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Prisoners, The Bone Collector, Sharp Objects, The Lovely Bones, The Killing

Script Level Analysis

Writer Exec

This section delivers a top-level assessment of the screenplay’s strengths and weaknesses — covering overall quality (P/C/R/HR), character development, emotional impact, thematic depth, narrative inconsistencies, and the story’s core philosophical conflict. It helps identify what’s resonating, what needs refinement, and how the script aligns with professional standards.

Screenplay Insights

Breaks down your script along various categories.

Overall Score: 7.90
Key Suggestions:
To strengthen the screenplay, focus on deepening underdeveloped characters like the Young Priest and Jack by adding more detailed backstories and motivations, which will enhance emotional resonance and narrative clarity. Additionally, refine pacing by tightening exposition-heavy scenes and ensuring smoother transitions, allowing for a more immersive and engaging story that better integrates themes of trauma and justice.
Story Critique

Big-picture feedback on the story’s clarity, stakes, cohesion, and engagement.

Key Suggestions:
To enhance 'RIP THE SHADOWS,' focus on refining the script's pacing to maintain momentum and reduce exposition-heavy sections, while deepening the motivations of secondary characters like Aaron and Alisha for greater emotional resonance. Additionally, integrate the supernatural elements more seamlessly with the core thriller plot to avoid confusion and strengthen thematic coherence, drawing from Jill's personal journey to create a more unified narrative.
Characters

Explores the depth, clarity, and arc of the main and supporting characters.

Key Suggestions:
The character analysis highlights strong, well-defined protagonists like Jill and Aaron, but to elevate the script's emotional depth and narrative impact, focus on integrating more nuanced explorations of their traumas and backstories. By incorporating suggestions such as adding scenes of vulnerability and deepening character arcs, the writer can avoid clichés, enhance audience empathy, and create a more compelling psychological thriller that resonates on a personal level, ultimately strengthening the overall story craft.
Emotional Analysis

Breaks down the emotional journey of the audience across the script.

Key Suggestions:
From a creative perspective, the script excels in evoking intense emotions but suffers from an imbalance that could lead to audience fatigue. Focus on incorporating more emotional variety and respite moments, such as adding levity or deeper character reflections, to enhance pacing and build stronger empathy, ultimately creating a more engaging and layered narrative that avoids one-dimensional intensity.
Goals and Philosophical Conflict

Evaluates character motivations, obstacles, and sources of tension throughout the plot.

Key Suggestions:
The script's analysis highlights a strong character arc for Jill, but to enhance craft, focus on deepening the integration of internal and external goals to avoid pacing issues in the investigative plot. Ensure that philosophical conflicts like justice versus vengeance are shown through subtle, character-driven moments rather than exposition, making the emotional journey more authentic and resonant, which could elevate the overall narrative tension and thematic impact.
Themes

Analysis of the themes of the screenplay and how well they’re expressed.

Key Suggestions:
The script's exploration of trauma and healing is compelling, but to elevate it creatively, focus on deepening character arcs, particularly Jill's, by adding more subtle, layered moments of emotional vulnerability and growth. Avoid over-reliance on expository flashbacks; instead, integrate trauma revelations more organically into the narrative to enhance pacing and immersion. Incorporating more diverse perspectives on healing, such as through James Akulleq's shamanic elements, could add richness, ensuring the story doesn't feel formulaic in the crime thriller genre.
Logic & Inconsistencies

Highlights any contradictions, plot holes, or logic gaps that may confuse viewers.

Key Suggestions:
The script's inconsistencies in character emotions, timelines, and plot elements undermine its narrative strength, making it essential to refine emotional arcs for authenticity, clarify event sequences for better pacing, and resolve plot holes to maintain suspense. By streamlining redundancies and ensuring dialogue feels natural, the writer can create a more cohesive and engaging thriller that effectively builds tension and character depth.

Scene Analysis

All of your scenes analyzed individually and compared, so you can zero in on what to improve.

Scene-Level Percentile Chart
Hover over the graph to see more details about each score.
Go to Scene Analysis

Other Analyses

Writer Exec

This section looks at the extra spark — your story’s voice, style, world, and the moments that really stick. These insights might not change the bones of the script, but they can make it more original, more immersive, and way more memorable. It’s where things get fun, weird, and wonderfully you.

Unique Voice

Assesses the distinctiveness and personality of the writer's voice.

Key Suggestions:
The script's voice excels in creating psychological suspense and emotional depth, but to enhance its craft, the writer should focus on streamlining the frequent use of flashbacks to ensure they serve the narrative without overwhelming the audience. By varying pacing and dialogue intensity, the story can maintain its gripping atmosphere while allowing for moments of reflection, preventing emotional saturation and strengthening overall coherence.
Writer's Craft

Analyzes the writing to help the writer be aware of their skill and improve.

Key Suggestions:
To improve the script's creative craft, focus on enhancing dialogue to reveal character motivations more subtly, refining pacing to build and sustain tension, and deepening character development to add emotional layers. By incorporating thematic exploration and practicing suggested exercises, the writer can create a more immersive and resonant narrative that captivates audiences through better integration of mystery and psychological elements.
Memorable Lines
Spotlights standout dialogue lines with emotional or thematic power.
Tropes
Highlights common or genre-specific tropes found in the script.
World Building

Evaluates the depth, consistency, and immersion of the story's world.

Key Suggestions:
The world-building in this script effectively crafts a tense, immersive atmosphere that supports the thriller genre, but to elevate the creative craft, focus on tightening the integration of disparate elements like shamanism and technology to ensure they enhance rather than distract from the narrative flow. By deepening the symbolic use of settings to mirror character emotions more consistently, such as using the physical environment to underscore psychological states, the writer can achieve greater emotional resonance and avoid potential tonal shifts that might dilute the story's intensity, ultimately making the script more cohesive and impactful for audiences.
Correlations

Identifies patterns in scene scores.

Key Suggestions:
The script excels in evoking strong emotional responses and tense atmospheres, but to elevate its craft, focus on integrating character development more seamlessly with plot progression and varying tension to avoid monotony. By adding emotional depth to mystery-driven scenes and balancing reflective moments with higher stakes, the narrative can achieve greater depth and engagement, making it a more compelling and well-rounded thriller.
Loglines
Presents logline variations based on theme, genre, and hook.