They

Synopsis: After witnessing a horrific and traumatic event, Julia Lund, a graduate student in psychology, gradually comes to the realization that everything which scared her as a child could be real. And what's worse, it might be coming back to get her...
Director(s): Robert Harmon
Production: Arts For The Free Spirit
  1 win & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
4.8
Metacritic:
31
Rotten Tomatoes:
38%
PG-13
Year:
2002
89 min
$12,575,046
527 Views


INT. BEDROOM - DAY

Tiny golden wheels and gears turning lazily upon metal rods. Mechanical pieces.

Small and intricate. Glittering in the sunlight.

REVEAL:

The gears are turning within an ANTIQUE DESK CLOCK sitting on a book shelf, a small

pendulum swinging back and forth behind the glass housing.

The room is barren except for a pair of open suitcases and a bed that's been

stripped. Sitting on the mattress is ...

JULIA LEVIN ...

Smart and clever. Dressed in a graduation gown and staring out the window. She seems

to be lost in thought, immobile, until the bedroom door swings open and ...

CONNOR LEVIN, aged seventeen and wearing a suit and tie, steps inside.

CONNOR:

Dad says we gotta get moving. We're late.

JULIA:

I'm getting ready.

CONNOR:

You're sitting on the bed.

JULIA:

(dryly)

Thanks for clearing that up. I'll be right down.

He steps out.

Julia takes a framed picture out of her suitcase -- a candid shot of herself standing

with her MOTHER, forties, a healthy and vibrant woman.

JULIA:

(cont'd)

Sure do miss you.

Above her, a CEILING FAN rotates. Creating a soft HUMMING.

EXT. WESTWOOD - APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

Julia walks out of the building where her father, GUY LEVIN, an older man with a kind

face, waits. Connor is checking his reflection in the car window, adjusting his

tie, fussing with his hair.

GUY:

You ready?

JULIA:

All set. I packed up everything.

(remembering)

Oh, except Mom's clock -- I think there's something wrong with it.

It's not telling the right time.

GUY:

I'll get it fixed. Probably just needs a few new parts.

Guy smiles at Julia for a moment. Very warmly.

GUY:

(cont'd)

You look just like your mother.

Julia is momentarily uncomfortable. But she recovers, smiles and kisses

her father on the cheek.

JULIA:

We'll be late.

EXT. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES - CAMPUS - DAY

Students dressed in graduation caps and gowns are gathered on the campus grounds.

Julia stands by herself, taking pictures with a professional Nikon camera. She

focuses the camera upon ...

TERRY ALBA, 22, beautiful and sexy. Very particular and demanding. She smiles

perfectly as Julia snaps the picture. But her boyfriend, SAM BURNSIDE, cute and

mischievous, sporting pink hair and loud clothes, makes a face.

Winding her film, Julia searches a moment, then smiles. Raising her camera lens, she

snaps a picture of ...

PAUL LOOMIS ...

Early twenties. Dark hair. Strapping and perfectly handsome. He wears a blue and gold

striped tie with his starched white shirt and graduation gown.

He kisses her. Passionate and gentle.

PAUL:

You packed up?

JULIA:

Ready to move in. I'll be storing some of the stuff you've already got.

Television. CD player. Microwave.

PAUL:

(suggestively)

Bed.

Julia smiles at him.

JULIA:

Bed.

PAUL:

Med School doesn't start until August. At least not for the freshmen, so we've got

plenty of time to see Europe, take the car trip up north ...

JULIA:

I hope it won't be a drag.

There's a lot of stuff to move out of my mother's cabin.

PAUL:

Our friends will be there. It'll be fun.

JULIA:

I hope so.

Beat.

PAUL:

You okay?

JULIA:

Tense.

PAUL:

Would it help if I massaged your breasts?

JULIA:

No.

PAUL:

Because it would help me.

JULIA:

(stifling laughter)

Maybe later.

The students start forming into lines.

JULIA:

(cont'd)

Hey, I saw your Mom and kid sister. Where's your Dad?

Beat.

PAUL:

He's not coming.

JULIA:

But it's your graduation.

Paul shrugs again. A brief sting of hurt on his face.

PAUL:

Wasn't a good enough reason in High School either.

Paul looks away. Julia knows how painful this is and won't insult him

by trying to diminish it.

Julia smiles and runs her finger across his tie knot.

JULIA:

I like your tie. UCLA colors.

PAUL:

School spirit. I am a Bruin.

The lines start moving towards the stadium. Hundreds of CHEERS rise up from the

graduating students.

As she walks, a sound draws Julia's attention. Standing on the lawn is a SMALL

BOY, no more than four years-old, SOBBING and clinging to his mother's legs.

Julia stops walking as she gazes at the child. The line comes to a halt behind her.

PAUL:

(cont'd)

Julia.

We can't graduate unless you move.

JULIA:

Sorry.

She stalks walking again. Paul puts his arms around her.

EXT. SAM'S HOUSE - GARDEN - DAY

A big, traditional house nestled in the hills. PARENTS and graduating STUDENTS

exchange polite conversation in the yard.

EXT. SAM'S HOUSE - BACK PORCH - DAY

Sitting between a pair of open french doors is "the gang" consisting of Julia

and Paul and Terry and Sam. They throw around conversation, ignoring the party.

TERRY:

It's secluded?

Nobody said anything to me about the cabin being secluded.

JULIA:

I said it was a cabin in the woods.

I thought seclusion was a given.

TERRY:

I'm no good out in the woods. You know what lives in the woods?

Animals that sting. Animals that bite.

PAUL:

So avoid the animals.

JULIA:

I really appreciate you guys helping me.

I couldn't move everything alone.

SAM:

Hey, it's our last chance to be together. Terry and I are excited.

(turns)

Aren't we, Ter?

She's not excited.

TERRY:

Can I bring my cotton bedsheets to the cabin? If I try to sleep

in anything but cotton, I get hives.

JULIA:

Whatever makes you happy.

Sam grabs a large drawing pad from the steps. He opens it.

SAM:

Speaking of which, I've got your graduation gift. As specified.

JULIA:

Let's see.

Sam holds up a sketch of Clark Kent changing to Superman.

SAM:

Like it?

JULIA:

It's great. Thanks Sam.

Paul checks out the drawing. His nose crinkles.

PAUL:

Superman? Why'd you want a drawing of Superman?

JULIA:

He's very attractive.

PAUL:

(staring)

You're kidding.

JULIA:

No.

PAUL:

He's not even real.

JULIA:

I think most women tend to wonder if Superman is super in every way.

TERRY:

I don't.

PAUL:

You see. There goes your argument.

TERRY:

(thoughtfully)

But Spiderman has a nice ass.

Off everyone's LOOK --

TERRY:

(cont'd)

What?

INT. SAM'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY

Julia

finishes washing her hands. Dries them. Grabbing her camera and the drawing,

Julia opens the bathroom door ...

INT. SAM'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

...

and freezes. Standing within an open bedroom is ...

A:

BLOND STUDENT.

Another

college graduate. Tan and attractive. Dressed exactly like Paul -- identical

white shirt, gold and blue striped tie. He pulls off his tie and unbuttons his

shirt.

Julia

doesn't move.

The

student peels off his shirt. Her eyes are drawn to a Superman "S"

insignia tattooed on his shoulder.

The

student catches sight of Julia in the hallway. Her face turns bright red

immediately. She starts to laugh.

He

smiles at her. A bit flattered. Flirting.

STUDENT:

Changing

into something more formal.

He

holds up a pair of ripped jeans.

Julia

backs down the hallway. Still laughing. Embarrassed.

JULIA:

I'm

sorry. I was just using the ...

(laughs)

Really.

I'm sorry.

STUDENT:

I'll

forgive you this once.

She

quickly leaves.

The

blond student watches her go. A grin on his face.

EXT. SAM'S HOUSE - BACK YARD - DAY

Julia

walks out the back door. Stifling her laughter.

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Brendan Hood

I always wanted to be a screenwriter ever since I was a kid. I can still remember seeing Poltergeist (1982) in the theater when I was really young, and hearing the audience screaming their lungs out when JoBeth Williams is trapped in the swimming pool with all of the decomposing skeletons. And I just thought, "I want to get an audience to do that." Interview, 2002. more…

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