UNDER THE INFLUENCE

written by

Hailey Berkowtiz and Michael Perrie Jr.

SEPT 2, 2023
4107903556 FIFTH shooting Draft
1 EXT. FARM HOUSE/CAR - DAY 1

A car pulls up to the house, and a man gets out.

2 INT. FARM HOUSE - CONT. 2

SAM - 30 something seems awkward and uncomfortable but will go

along with anything - enters the house with his bags, he stops
to give his phone up, apprehensively, to someone at the front
door. Then drags his bag down a hallway to “his room.”

3 INT. HALLWAY - CONT. 3

SAM gets to his bedroom door, holding a shirt and sweatpants.

He truggles to open the door. It finally opens - in, not out.

4 INT. FARM HOUSE, ROOM - CONT. 4

SAM puts on his assigned black/grey t-shirt. First backwards.

Then, realizing, gets stuck pulling it around the right way.
We see the logo... “RELAX RELATE RETREAT” on the front.

CUT TO:

5 EXT. OUTSIDE - DAY 5

The chairs are occupied by the retreat leader, BRIAN - a well

intentioned but eccentric soul. The other attendees wear the
same matching black/gray sweatsuits as SAM.

SIMONE - the stereotypical social media influencer, seems as

though she’s always on The Bachelor - speaks.

SIMONE
(as if introducing a video)
Sup Simoan-er’s, it’s Simone aka
SimoneSayz--

AVERY, MICHAEL, & J.

Woo!

BRIAN
Simone.

SIMONE
Yah?

BRIAN
Why don’t you try again, this time
talk to us. Here.
 2.

SIMONE
Right. Sorry everyone I’m just
used to talking to my millions of
subscribers everyday so...
Anyways, I decided to commit
myself to Relax, Relate, Retreat
because I just feel like I care a
little too much about how many
subscribers my enemies have.
Right, Renee?

RENEE - Simone’s assistant, appears to be an anxious chihuhua -

is revealed next to Simone, filming all of this on her phone.

RENEE
You want me to talk?

SIMONE
Of course.

RENEE
But you never let me--

SAM
Why does she have a phone?

BRIAN
What’s that Sam?

AVERY - 30’s, wants everyone to follow the rules, unhinged with

a strict moral code - hears this.

AVERY
(pointing)
She’s recording! Brian, look!

BRIAN
Avery, let’s not point fingers,
but
(pointing at Renee)
Renee, why do you have your phone?

RENEE
I’m filming Simone.

J. - late 20’s, the non-binary person of everyone’s fantasies,

sexy in a perplexing manner - leans in.

J.
Well, who wouldn’t?

SIMONE
What?
 3.

MICHAEL - a YouTube vlogger who wants to be involved in

everything - interjects.

MICHAEL
We’re not allowed to have phones!

SAM
Oh, I didn’t mean to start--

AVERY
Brian said, “our connections to
the outside world must be
severed.”

J.
Renee, babe, you’re not severed.

SIMONE
J’s right.

RENEE
But you told me I should be
filming all of this for your new--

SIMONE
Woah. Renee, I know you’re just
lashing out because you broke the
law. But--

RENEE
I’M JUST DOING WHAT YOU WANTED!

BRIAN
Renee, calm down.

RENEE
Calm down?! Okay. You want my
phone?! Fine.

She stands up and LAUNCHES the phone into the woods.

RENEE sits back down. A moment of silence.

BRIAN
Okay...Sam? How about you finish
us off?

SAM
Um, hi, I’m Sam...I’m here because
my mother signed me up.

AVERY
Why?
 4.

SAM
I was addicted- I AM addicted to
this murder mystery game where
every few days they drop a new
crime and you have to try and
solve it before the next one
drops...and if you can’t figure it
out you can buy clues with real
money to help you solve it.

MICHAEL
So what’s the problem?

SAM
Well, I’ve bought a lot of clues.

AVERY
How much is a “a lot of clues?”

BRIAN
You don’t have to answer that if
you don’t want to.

SAM
Enough to get evicted.

An awkward quiet moment.

SIMONE
Oh no...

SAM
But! Now I’m back with my mom, and
she said I have to, “stop solving
fake crimes, and start solving my
real life.”

SIMONE
You are so brave.

BRIAN
Thank you, Sam. Thank you all.
Now, I like to close group
meetings with a little grounding
chant...if you will...relax relate
retreat.

ALL BUT RENEE

RELAX, RELATE, RETREAT...(x3)

CUT TO:
 5.

6 INT. HALLWAY - LATER/NIGHT 6

SAM walks down the hall to his doorway.

SAM
(over his shoulder.
Okay. Goodnight!

Hestruggles with his door, again before he overhears SIMONE and

RENEE arguing in their room down the hall.

RENEE (OS)
This is not what I signed up for!

SIMONE (OS)
Renee, I can’t have this argument
again!

RENEE (OS)
But--

SIMONE leaves the room, slamming the door, and sees SAM.

She looks like she might cry, and runs past him down the hall.

CUT TO:

7 INT. KITCHEN - NEXT MORNING 7

SAM enters as all the other participants (except SIMONE and

RENEE) are eating hardboiled eggs. They all look at him.

EVERYONE
Morning, Sam.

SAM
Hey. Everyone...So, just hard
boiled eggs, huh?

MICHAEL
They’re very firm.

SAM
Ok. Where are the others?

SIMONE enters, dramatically. In tears?

SIMONE
Ohmygod, Renee is gone!

AVERY
Oh, Simone...
 6.

AVERY goes to SIMONE to comfort her. Simone shrugs her off and
goes to SAM. Avery looks upset.

SIMONE
I woke up and she wasn’t on her
chair.

SAM
She sleeps in a chair?

SIMONE
She loves chairs.

AVERY
Maybe she went for a run? Remember
that video where you were training
for that 5k? I thou--

J.
Maybe she went to go find the
phone she yeet’ed into the woods?

SAM
Where’s Brian?

BRIAN enters, joyfully.

BRIAN
Good Morning!

SIMONE
Renee is missing!

BRIAN
What?

SAM
Brian, have you seen Renee?

BRIAN
No. Haven’t seen her since the
circle...

AVERY
Maybe, she left. If you need
someone else, I could--

SIMONE
She wouldn’t just leave, not
without taking her stuff.

SAM
Her stuff’s still here?
 7.

BRIAN
Well, then I’m sure she’s peaches
and cream! Now, let’s get started
- nothing weird is going on.

They follow BRIAN outside. SIMONE grabs SAM, aside:

SIMONE
Something weird is going on.
We need to document this-- if only
we had a phone.

SAM
Hold on. If her stuff is still
here maybe she just needed some
alone time. Especially after
yesterday...

SIMONE
(suddenly serious)
Sam. I think someone here did
something to her...to get to me.

SAM
What do you mean, “did something
to her?” Like, mur--

J. enters.

J.
Hey, lovebirds. We’re all waiting
for you.

Through the window/door all eyes are on them, waiting.

SIMONE
Oh! Just grabbing a hardie!

She lifts a hardboiled egg. As they exit past J.:

SAM
Also, we’re not ”lovebirds”
that’s...

Door shuts.

CUT TO:

8 EXT. OUTSIDE - MOMENTS LATER 8

SIMONE eyes closed, arms crossed.

MICHAEL appears behind her, whispering.
 8.

MICHAEL
I’ve watched you from the
beginning, and you’ve come so far.
I’m so proud of you.

SIMONE opens her eyes.

SAM hears this as his partner (J.) is trust falling back and
because SAM is distracted, they’re dropped. Trust not acheived.

J.
Bro?!

SAM
Oh, shit, sorry!

J.
Where’s the trust?

SAM
Sorry, I was just--

J.
Look, I get it. Simone, is a fine
Chenin Blanc, we all want to drink
her up.

SAM
Oh, no, I--

J.
Trust me, I’ve written her into so
many different positions. But you
gotta strap it on, and focus up.
Think about what Ruth Bader
Ginsberg once said...

SAM
That is quite a sentence--

J.
“Bro’s before hoes.”

J. extends their hand for SAM to help them up.

AVERY is in BRIAN’S arms, post trust fall staring at SIMONE.

BRIAN
Okay, let’s switch!

AVERY
I wanted to be Simone’s partner.

BRIAN
Avery, switch.
 9.

Back to: SIMONE and MICHAEL, he isn’t letting go post fall.

SIMONE
Michael? Brian, said to switch.

MICHAEL
Do you pay for subscribers?

SIMONE
No. Let go.

MICHAEL
It’s okay if you do, I just wanna
know.

SIMONE
Let go of me.

MICHAEL
...Fine.

MICHAEL tosses her to the ground, hard.

SIMONE
(as if in great pain)
AH!!

BRIAN (OS)
Whoa! What’s going on?

THE GROUP arrives to the scene.

AVERY
Simone, are you okay?

SIMONE
I’m fine, we just--

MICHAEL
Got lost in the moment.

SAM
Here, I gotchu.

SAM helps SIMONE up, holding her.

9 EXT. OUTSIDE - SAME 9

SAM and SIMONE talk privately as they head towards the house:

SIMONE
Did you see that?
 10.

SAM
Yeah. What did he say?

SIMONE is looking off over his shoulder...

insert - watching SIMONE and SAM walk towards the house.

SAM notices her looking off.

SAM
What? You see something?

SIMONE
No. It’s nothing...

CUT TO:

10 INT. FARM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS 10

BRIAN and SAM are discussing the situation as SIMONE lies on

the couch with her ankle elevated and iced.

SAM
I don’t think Simone is safe here.
She’s like a celebrity or
something, right? And the way
these people have been acting
around her, it’s--

BRIAN
Strange? Look, you’re seeing these
people in withdrawl. Things will
get better, trust me. I’ve seen it
a thousand times - let’s not make
mountains out of meerkat manors,
ok?

BRIAN exits.

SAM
How’s your ankle?

SIMONE
It hurts. Could probably use a
doctor...but...I’ll survive.

SAM
Right. Lets start with some water
and then maybe we can get a
phone...

SIMONE
Sam, thanks for everything.
 11.

SAM smiles. SIMONE smiles back. SAM exits for water.

SIMONE’s face drops, and she reaches over to her ankle.

Removing the ice pack, she rolls it freely and effortlessly and
then with her hand she ‘cracks’ the joint--

CUT TO:

11 INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT 11

The group is bonding at the kitchen table, late into the

evening. J. is mid-tale:

J.
...and sure, I’ve written a couple
stories that one might consider,
depraved, or inappropriate, or
“crossing a line”. And from the
depths of my soul I am so sorry,
Simone.

SIMONE
Did you write about me?

J.
You haven’t seen them? Oh...well
that’s embarassing.

A moment between them.

BRIAN
Okay, J. thank you for that
unprompted confession it was...
(there is no word) Well, I’m
turning into pumpkin SO this is
where I bid you adeiu.

SAM
Brian, could I get my--?

BRIAN
No phones, Sam. Goodnight.

BRIAN exits upstairs.

MICHAEL
Now that dad’s gone to bed, let’s
do something fun.

AVERY
How about MANHUNT?

J.
I love manhunt!
 12.

SAM
I think I played that in middle
school?

J.
(starting a chant, banging
table)
Man-hunt, man-hunt, man-hunt--

The group starts to join in, until:

SIMONE
I’m sorry, what is “manhunt?”

AVERY
You’ve never played?

SIMONE
No.

MICHAEL
It’s so fun.

AVERY
SO fun. I think Simone should be
“IT” first.

Agreement from the group, sans Sam.

SIMONE
What is “IT”?

J.
It’s like tag, but the hunters -
that’s us - try get who’s it as a
team.

SAM
But what about her ankle?

MICHAEL
Don’t worry, Sam, it’ll be fun.

AVERY stands, moves to the door, while opening it:

AVERY
Ok? We’re gonna count to a
hundred, so you can get a
headstart.

J.
1-2-3...
 13.

SIMONE
(whisper)
Sam, get the phone.

MICHAEL
RUN!

She does.

When she leaves, AVERY closes the door behind her and turns to
the group suddenly sinister.

12 EXT. WOODS - SAME 12

SIMONE is limping towards the woods, scared.

13 INT. KITCHEN - SAME 13

J. is handing out flashlights.

SAM
What the hell is going on? We’re
not actually “hunting” Simone,
right?

AVERY offers a kitchen knife to SAM. He takes it

apprehensivley.

J. opens the door, they file out.

J.
(to the wild)
ONE HUNDRED--

CUT TO:

14 EXT. WOODS - SAME 14

SIMONE against the tree, watching the house.

J. (OS)
--HERE WE COME!

SIMONE takes off.

BACK TO:

15 INT. KITCHEN - SAME 15

SAM is left alone...he looks at the flashlight and knife, and

decides to leave the knife on the counter.
 14.

CUT TO:

16 EXT. WOODS - NIGHT - SAME 16

SIMONE is running breathlessly looking for a place to hide. She

she stumbles. FLASHLIGHTS in the distance.

BACK TO:

17 EXT. DIFFERENT PART OF THE WOODS - SAME 17

SAM is scouring the ground looking for Renee’s phone...

Suddenly, his flashlight catches a glimpse of it, the moment he

picks it up we hear a branch snap behind him.

CUT TO:

18 EXT. WOODS - SAME 18

SIMONE screams as she is surrounded by ‘the hunters’.

AVERY steps forward.

AVERY
(loudly)
Well, well, well - looks like you
finally got the followers you
wanted. And where’s your little
boyfriend?

SIMONE
He’s gonna stop you! Right. Now!

They all pause...is something supposed to happen?

Where is Sam?

SIMONE
What the fu--

CUT TO:

19 EXT. ANOTHER PART OF THE WOODS - CONTINUOUS 19

SAM turns around and points the flashlight at...RENEE!?!

RENEE
Give me that.

She yoinks the phone from him. SAM is stunned.

She presses the side button.
 15.

RENEE
Shit!

She runs off towards the house. He follows.

CUT TO:

20 EXT. WOODS - AS BEFORE 20

The “hunter group” is frozen around SIMONE, cleary SAM isn’t

coming...

THE GROUP deflates, as each of their facades drop, leaving only

the real Avery, J., and Michael - not the characters we’ve come
to know.

AVERY
Should I try it again, I wasn’t
feeling that one--

MICHAEL
I liked it.

J.
Very grounded.

SIMONE
SHUT THE FUCK UP. Where is Sam?

CUT TO:

21 INT. FARM HOUSE - SAME 21

RENEE and SAM burst through the kitchen door, RENEE is futzing
with the phone trying to get it to turn on.

SAM
She was really worried about you.
After you disappeared things got
really weird--

RENEE
(hardly listening)
Yeah, I read the script. Do you
have a charger or something? Cause
this thing’s dead.

She tosses the phone to SAM.

SAM
Why would I have a charger?

RENEE
Right. That would be too easy.
 16.

RENEE begins ripping open kitchen drawers searching for a

charger.

CUT TO:

22 EXT. WOODS - SAME 22

MICHAEL
This isn’t in the script.

SIMONE
(mocking him)
This isn’t in the script.

J.
You know this reminds me of a time
at NYU, where I trained, and--

SIMONE
If this story doesn’t end with me
getting ten million new followers,
I’m gonna cut your tongue out of
your fucking mouth.

THE ACTORS are stunned, frozen, by this sudden outrage.

SIMONE (cont.)
(resetting)
Now...Here’s what we’re gonna do.

CUT TO:

23 INT. FARM HOUSE KITCHEN - CONTINUED 23

RENEE finds a charger, and holds it up like a trophy.

RENEE
Catch.

She tosses the charger to SAM. He catches it and plugs in the

phone.
A scream from outside!

SIMONE (OS)
SAM?!

They hide behind the counter.

CUT TO:
 17.

24 INT. BRIAN’S ROOM - SAME 24

We see, BRIAN, on the toilet, headphones in, scrolling through

his phone. He hears something? He’s not sure...

BACK TO:

25 INT. BEHIND THE COUNTER - CONTINUOUS 25

SAM and RENEE hiding as SIMONE burts into the kitchen.

SIMONE (OS)
(to herself)
Where is this fucking idiot?

RENEE looks to SAM, he nods. RENEE nods, and stands up.

RENEE
Hello, Simone.

26 INT. - KITCHEN - ABOVE COUNTER - SAME 26

SIMONE
Renee? Renee! Oh, thank god you’re
okay! I thought I’d lost you
forever--

RENEE
Simone, enough. It’s just us.

We see SAM as the little battery logo pops up, it’s charging!

SIMONE spots the knife on the counter, and inches her way
forward word by word. She’s performing.

SIMONE
I was so scared for you. I
couldn’t live with myself if any
of these monsters had hurt you.
Thinking about what I would post
if you died... it would be so sad.

RENEE
For who? You, or your followers?

SIMONE
Well--

RENEE
We’ve come so far and you want to
jeapordize our success just for a
handful of followers?
 18.

SIMONE
Plus a documentary, AND a Netflix
series... I could finally meet
Andy Cohen!

RENEE
I’ve put up with so much because I
thought you were my friend...but
this is too far. These are real
people and you’re going to ruin
their lives.

SIMONE
meh.

RENEE
Oh... you’re a pyschopath.

CUT TO:

27 INT. BEHIND THE COUNTER - SAME 27

The phone comes on.

SAM
Yes!

BACK TO:

28 INT. KITCHEN - ABOVE THE COUNTER 28

SIMONE
That’s so mean, Renee.

SIMONE grabs the knife! As THE GROUP bursts into the kitchen.

J. (OS)
Oh shit!

SIMONE
New plan, Renee is gonna stab me.

SIMONE offers the knife to RENEE. A moment.

insert - SAM contemplates dialing 9-1-1...

RENEE
What?
 19.

SIMONE
Before it was just “social media
goddess SimoneSayz abducted by
derranged followers on no-phones
retreat.” They get a couple months
behind bars, and I get 10 million
new followers...

MICHAEL
Behind bars?

J.
Prison was not on the casting
call.

AVERY
I can’t go back there.

SIMONE
But we’re not doing that one
anymore! So shutup.
Renee? Think about it - you love
me so much, that you have to try
and kill me. But you can’t really
kill me, because you love me so
much. It’s a much better
narrative. And sure you goto jail
for a little bit, but then -
NETFLIX! Yayy!

RENEE
I’m not gonna stab you.

SIMONE
Sure you can, right here. I can
take it.

MICHAEL
Is this part of the script?

SIMONE
NO. RENEE, STAB ME. NOW!

29 INT. STAIRS - SAME 29

BRIAN, is wandering down the steps... “whats going on?”

30 INT. KITCHEN - SAME 30

RENEE backs away. SIMONE fumes.

 20.

SIMONE
GAHHHH! Why must I be surrounded
by idiots?! Don’t you see this
could be the biggest scandal in
the history of social media!

SIMONE gestures as BRIAN enters the kitchen.

BRIAN
Ouch.

BRIAN’s been stabbed. SIMONE doesn’t realize until it’s too

late. He collapses. The room, goes into panic!

SAM
Oh my god.

SAM, who has been recording this whole time, is frozen.

SIMONE sees him filming for the first time, eyes wide.

CUT TO BLACK. ROLL CREDITS.