Ridley (Draft 3) By Tom Hesford

tomhesford@btinternet.com

1. THEATRE. INT. DAY. RIDLEY stands Wearing a BLACK LEATHER and RED TSHIRT, with BLACK DRIVING GLOVES. He has a KNIFE brandished facing GARY dressed in HOMELESS ATTIRE. He moves towards him menacingly. RIDLEY Change! You worthless parasite. Ill spare you some change if you can give me a reason to spare your life! Ridley grabs him by the throat and he begins to chortle. GARY Please. RIDLEY Im not sure thats a good enough reason. Ridley laughs as he pulls back the knife and begins to drive it into the body of the homeless actor as he falls down in unconsciousness. RICHARD (director) walks up to them giving them a light clap. RICHARD Good stuff. I think well have to call it a day at that but well done. RIDLEY What did you think? RICHARD Better, much better. Youre still lacking a bit of... ferocity though. I know its not easy but you need to try and imagine what the killer is thinking. What drives him to do these terrible things. RIDLEY Im trying. RICHARD Anyway well run it through again tomorrow and see where youre up to. Richard turns and walks as away as Ridley stands taking a glance at the knife. CUT TO:

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2. THEATRE. INT. DAY. RIDLEY stands by the door putting on his COAT whilst GARY and ZOE stand a few meters away from him. GARY The oaks normally alright on a tuesday if you fancy that? ZOE Yeah sure, where ever. Ridley flashes a shocked look towards Zoe and nudges closer to them as she struggles to get her coat round her arm. GARY Do you need some help with that. Gary helps her to pull her arm through the coat. ZOE Owe, youre such a gentleman. The pair laugh to each other and Ridley approaches them. RIDLEY Are you going to the Oak? Im up for that. GARY Yeah Im not sure. RIDLEY Come on. I bet I can drink you under the table. ZOE Were kind of going for a meal first. If you see... RIDLEY Owe right. Fair enough. Sorry to intrude. ZOE Its okay. GARY (Sarcastically) Yeah. Zoe and Gary head out of the door as Ridley retreats back inside intentionally taking a long time to zip up his coat.

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CUT TO: 3. HOTEL ROOM. INT. NIGHT. RIDLEY paces up and down, script in hand he mumles something inaudibly. He looks into the mirror stressed and scratches his head. At the door JEFFREY appears donned in a BLACK LEATHER JACKET and RED TSHIRT. JEFFREY Hello Ridley. Ridley turns around swiftly in shock. RIDLEY What? Who are you? The sign says do not disturb. How did you get in here? Jeffrey chuckles to himself. JEFFREY Stay calm Ridley. All is well. Jeffrey wanders over to Ridley who stands still in shock as Jeffrey holds his hand out to shake. JEFFREY Im Jeffrey. Ridley merely continues to star at him, confused. RIDLEY What is it that you want exactly? Jeffrey chuckles and wanders across the room. JEFFREY Im here to help you Ridley. I hear youve been having some trouble getting into your new role, yes? RIDLEY Maybe I have. JEFFREY Im here to offer you my, shall we say informed advice. Jeffrey wanders towards Ridley, looking him closely in the eye.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: JEFFREY Do you know what it feels like to kill a man Ridley? JEFFREY Well I do. I know what it feels like to put an end to someones very being. Dont you want to get an insight into what that feels like? Are you not fully committed to the role?

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Ridley shuffles around with a horrified look on his face shaking his head. Jeffrey chuckles to himself, pulling on a pair of LEATHER DRIVING GLOVES as he walks towards the door. JEFFREY Come on. I want to show you something. CUT TO: 4. DARK STREET. EXT. NIGHT. Ridley and Jeffrey stand at the end of the dimly lit street. they stare at a homeless man sitting shivering with a can of special brew. RIDLEY What are we doing here? JEFFREY Come on Ridley, I can tell youre a smart guy. (PAUSE) Dont play dumb. RIDLEY I Dont think this is necessary. Its just a play. JEFFREY Just a play? Your commitment is astounding. RIDLEY I dont care, I cant be invovled in this. Ridley turns to try and walk away but Jeffrey grabs him. JEFFREY Whos going to miss him? Hes a burden if anything. Well be putting him out of his misery. (CONTINUED)

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5.

RIDLEY Im not in the business of putting people out of their misery. Im an actor! I dont kill people. JEFFREY You dont have to do anything. Just watch. Jeffrey brandishes a knife and Ridley tentatively follows him towards the man. Hiding the knife behind his back Jeffrey approaches the man. HOMELESS MAN Could you spare any change? JEFFREY Could I spare any what? HOMELESS MAN Any change? Ridley stands at a distance looking petrified as Jeffrey cackles. JEFFREY Change? Why dont you give me a reason to spare your life, you worthless parasite! The man cowars against the wall as Jeffrey brandishes the knife in his face. HOMELESS MAN Leave me be. Ive done nothing to you. Jeffrey continues to laugh as he runs the knife down the mans body. RIDLEY Stop it. Ive seen enough. Jeffrey turns to look at Ridley. JEFFREY Youre not paying attention are you? Its all about the eyes. The eyes show whats inside a person. The reason hes cowaring is because hes seen the look in my eyes and he knows Im going to kill. Thats what the audience needs to see. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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Jeffrey turns back to the man and begins to stab away at him whilst Ridley looks away. CUT TO: 5. THEATRE LOBBY/ENTRANCE. INT. DAY. Zoe wanders in throught the door of the theatre closely followed by Ridley. RIDLEY Zoe! Zoe! Zoe turns around. ZOE Owe hi Ridley. RIDLEY How are you? ZOE Good. RIDLEY How was your date with Gary the other night? ZOE Owe that prick. It wont be happening again Ill tell you that. Ridley fights back a smile. RIDLEY Owe Really, Why not? ZOE Look lets just say he wasnt very gentlemanly when it came to saying good night. RIDLEY Typical. Zoe turns around and tries to head inside. RIDLEY So are you doing anything interesting tonight.

(CONTINUED)

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ZOE Not particularly I would imagine. RIDLEY Well I was wondering if youd like to come to the Oak. ZOE Sorry Jeffrey, I cant. RIDLEY Ill be a gentlemen. ZOE Look Ridley I just cant. Zoe heads of inside leaving Ridley looking deflated. CUT TO: 6. THEATRE. INT. DAY. RIDLEY stands Wearing a BLACK LEATHER and RED TSHIRT, with BLACK DRIVING GLOVES. He has a KNIFE brandished facing GARY dressed in HOMELESS ATTIRE. He moves towards him menacingly. RIDLEY Change. You worthless parasite. Ill spare you some change if you can give me a reason to spare your life! Gary backs up towards the the wall. GARY Ive done nothing to hurt you. Leave me be. Ridley advances further towards him. RIDLEY Im not sure thats a good enough reason. GARY Go away. Ridley laughs as he pulls bag the knife and begins to drive it into the body of the homeless actor as he falls down in unconsciousness.

(CONTINUED)

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RICHARD Brilliant. Brilliant stuff. Ridley smiles as richard walks over patting him on the back. RICHARD Much more convincing. You really gave me the chills there. CUT TO: 7. HOTEL ROOM. INT. NIGHT.

Ridley lies on his bed struggling to keep his eyes open as he gazes at the tv. His head slips down and his eyes close. JEFFREY Evening Ridley. Jeffrey stands at the foot of Ridley bed as he jolts up startled. RIDLEY Christ. Jeffrey chuckles ot himself. JEFFREY Wakey, wakey. RIDLEY Look Ive had a long day, if you dont mind, I need to get some sleep. JEFFREY Evil never sleeps Ridley. you should know that. Ridley shakes his head and rubs his eyes. JEFFREY So. Are you prepared for tomorrow? RIDLEY Id like to think so. JEFFREY Really, Im sure having your brain scrambled by this turgid nonsense is great preparation. Give me the script. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

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Ridley reaches over to the bedside table picking up the script, passing it over to him and he peruses it for a few seconds. JEFFREY Okay. Whats your motive? RIDLEY What? JEFFREY What makes you want to kill this particular fellow? Ridley looks tired and confused. RIDLEY I dont know. Hes just a bit of a nob, I think. JEFFREY Just a bit of a nob. Not good enough. Ridley merely sighs and turns onto his side. Jeffrey walks over and clips Ridley around the ear. JEFFREY Look Im here to help you. Youre going to make a convincing killer, Ill see to that. This my legacy. CUT TO: 8. OUTSIDE STRIP CLUB. EXT. NIGHT. Ridley and Jeffrey stand around the corner from the strip club entrance. Jeffrey holds the script aloft, pointing out things to Ridley. JEFFREY Look, the key thing to think about here is this guy, hes despicable. Hes a misogynist, hes got more money than he knows how to spend. The world will be better without him. RIDLEY But we dont realy believe that, do we. I mean the moral reasoning behind it is just a pretense. These (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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RIDLEY (contd) actions are just meaningless violence. Jeffrey looks disaprovingly at Ridley. JEFFREY Theres always a motive Ridley, always a reason. A slightly drunken man in a suit stumbles out of the club and into the street. JEFFREY Ah, the victim. Jeffrey smiles and points to the script. JEFFREY Strangulation is a hard one to master. Do you want to try this one out? or just observe? RIDLEY Ill observe, from a distance. JEFFREY Owe know, youve got to get right in for this one. Jeffrey advances on the victim and Ridley follows him. JEFFREY The key think to note here is swiftness. If the victim has time to react, its game over. Watch. The man stumbles to a halt as Jeffrey grabs him from behind and begins to tighten the tie aroud his neck. The man falls his knees and begins to choke. JEFFREY Once youve got the victim in place, youre on easy street. Its just a case of holding them in place. Ridley at the mans terrified, spluttering face and grimaces. JEFFREY Are you listening.

(CONTINUED)

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RIDLEY Yes, Im listening. Its just a bit distracting, with him, you know. JEFFREY Forget about him and stop making I contact. Dont be swayed, youre in charge, thats the thing to remember. Jeffreys turns his focus to the man, we see a close up of the evil look of deetermination on his face. CUT TO: 9. THEATRE. INT. NIGHT. Close up of Ridleys face with an evil look reminiscent of Jeffreys. He tightens a tie of his co star begins to splutter and rythe As Ridley lets go above the tie he falls to appearing unconscious. of determination around the neck uncrontrollably. the ground

Ridley relaxes and the co star lifts himself up from the ground and they shake hands. Richard walks over to Ridley smiling. RICHARD Well done. How do you feel its going? RIDLEY Theres still a few bits Im struggling to get across, but i think given a bit of time it should be fine. RICHARD I think youre doing magnificently. I mean its all in your eyes. You could easily be mistaken for psychotic. Ridley laughs uncomfortably. RIDLEY Thanks. Richard pats Ridley on the back and wanders off. CUT TO:

12. 10. THEATRE. INT. DAY. Ridley stands stirring a cup of coffee whilst gazing on as the dance troupe are rehearsing their bit. Zoe wanders over towards him dressed in her dancers outfit. RIDLEY Zoe, would you like a coffee? Get it while its still hot for once. ZOE Owe yes please. Ridley takes another cup and begins to pour another coffee. RIDLEY You deserve some refreshment after that performance. Very good. ZOE Thank you. RIDLEY The way you move, its very elegant. Youre a real natural dancer. I enjoyed the physicality of it all. ZOE What do you mean? RIDLEY Im just trying to say... Good performance is all. Zoe gives him a disgusted glare. ZOE Youre a creep. She storms off. RIDLEY Wait. Youre coffee. ZOE Fuck off. Ridley stares at the coffe he has poured, indignantly. RIDLEY I just meant to be nice. Good performance is all. CUT TO:

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11. HOTEL ROOM. INT. NIGHT. Ridley stands at the sink in the en suite bathroom lightly splashing his face. He walks back into the room to find Jeffrey lay on his bed. RIDLEY I wish youd stop appearing like this. Jeffrey laughs and motions Ridley to sit on the bed. JEFFREY Sit down. Ridley climbs onto the bed and sits next to Jeffrey. RIDLEY Everythings coming together pretty well, I think. JEFFREY I just thought Id come to wish you luck for the big night. RIDLEY Well thanks. Youve got dubious methods but Ive got to say, youve been a big help. Itll be weird not working together once the play starts. JEFFREY Well this is what Im thinking see. How about we have a bit of a send off. One last little kill. It might help you get in the mood for tomorrow. RIDLEY Im not sure. JEFFREY Come on. Do it for me. After all, I have helped you out. Ridley looks reluctantly at Jeffrey. RIDLEY Okay, one last kill. But where?

(CONTINUED)

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JEFFREY Right here ofcourse. RIDLEY What? Jeffrey jumps up smiling and picks up the phone. JEFFREY One bottle of moet please. Yes, room 237, thanks. RIDLEY I cant afford Moet. JEFFREY Its alright, well send the moet back. so how are you feeling about tomorrow? RIDLEY Fairly confident. I think Ive put the hours in. Im quite excited if Im honest with you. JEFFREY Great, just so long as you remember everything I taught you. You should be incredibly convincing. The two smile at each other and there is a knock at the door. Jeffrey picks the bedside lamp and stands beside the door as Ridley walks up to open it. As the waiter walks in Jeffreys wacks him on the head with the lamp. Then as he is lay on the floor unconscious Jeffrey wacks him a couple more times as Ridley watches exprssionless and unfased. CUT TO: 12. BACKSTAGE. INT. NIGHT. Ridley looks in the mirror nervously playing with his collar and checking his hair. Jeffrey apears behind him looking menacing. JEFFREY Good luck out there. Jeffrey smiles into the mirror and ridley smiles back. CUT TO:

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13. THEATRE. INT. NIGHT. The crowd is full. Ridley, on stage, Walks up to a man in a ticket booth. RIDLEY One please. TICKET MAN The performance has already started sir. RIDLEY Perfect. The man passes him a ticket and he walks past. Standing at the side ofe stage he watches on as the dance troupe elegantly move about the stage. He walks onto the stage approaching them. They continue their performance looking acting slightly bemused. As Ridley gets closer to them he pulls out a knife. The dancers halt their performance in a moment of shock and then turn to head for the side of stage. Ridley manages to grab hold of Zoe. She screams as he pushes her to the ground. ZOE No, no, get away. Ridley smiles grabbing hold of her by the neck chuckling to himself. ZOE Why are you doing this? RIDLEY Who knows why we do what we do? We see Jeffreys face as he mouths along. Ridley smiles as Zoe screams. We see his face as he moves the knife in a stabbing motion. After a few seconds we hear screams from side of stage and then the audience as Ridley stands to reveal the blood ridden body of the actress. He drops the knife and looks stunned and distressed at the site of the body as his gaze is held by it. The Curtain falls. THE END