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Simon can't sleep.

 

Simon is not an insomniac.

 

Simon is nocturnal.

 

Repelled by the hectic claustrophobia of modern life, Simon finds solace in the emptiness of the cityscape after dark.  Only then, his compulsion for darkness and solitude sated, can he hope for a precious moment of sleep.

 

Forced to endure the banality of a modern office by day, Simon is permanently exhausted. His boss is on his back. All of his colleagues resent him, except one. Polly.

 

Simon has long fancied Polly. To his surprise, Polly reciprocates. She too has disdain for the norm, and Simon is far from normal.

 

Then a Dark Figure begins to stalk him.

 

Subtle at first, the Dark Figure invades Simon's nocturnal freedom. When this entity becomes threatening, Simon is prevented from going out at night, and therefore, from sleeping.

 

Total sleep deprivation shatters Simon's already tenuous sanity. Alcohol and drugs fail to elicit sleep. His job and relationship are threatened as he loses his grasp on reality.

 

As Simon's psychological state plummets, the Figure intensifies. When Simon is arrested for an attempted murder he didn't commit, yet the police have CCTV footage of him attacking the victim, Simon realises that the Figure has the power to infiltrate his life to unimaginable levels.

 

Thus, unable to tell the psychological from the supernatural, Simon is forced out into the night to face his demons.

 

Unsure if his nemesis is lurking in the shadows or inside his head, Simon is compelled to face his fear. But what happens when it faces him right back?

 

The projected budget of £1.5M is due to the fact that the film has few locations, a limited amount of roles, and small visual effects. The majority of the budget will be spent on talent, because this is a psychological horror and requires spot – on acting performances.

 

Much like thrillers, horrors are not primarily star driven, although we have attracted Pollyanna McIntosh who is a famous horror idol, makes this project worthy of a high return. Nocturnal has been written specifically to support a low budget, which could create tremendous upside for fans of Pollyanna McIntosh.