“Unraveling the Complex Ties: Is ‘Motherboy’ the Most Enigmatic Screenplay of the Year?”
What if I told you that a Thanksgiving dinner could turn into a psychological thriller of nightmarish proportions? Welcome to “Motherboy,” the latest addition to the 2024 Black List that promises to serve up a feast of suspense and shock! In this chilling screenplay by Tess Brewer, we follow Tatum Woodrow, a pregnant wife whose anxiety levels are off the charts as she prepares to spend the holiday with her husband Owen’s overly attached mother. Think about it: nothing says festive like a mom who hasn’t quite grasped that her son is, in fact, a grown adult. If the pitch, likening it to “BARBARIAN” meets an “erotic Hallmark holiday movie,” doesn’t grab your attention, then the unraveling of family secrets and sinister twists surely will. Can a simple, well-meaning holiday trip contend with deeply-rooted psychological horror? Spoiler alert: it just might. So, grab your popcorn and buckle up—we’re diving deep into whether “Motherboy” stands up to its shocking premise! LEARN MORE.
Motherboy goes for the shockiest ending of the 2024 Black List. Does it succeed?
Genre: Thriller
Premise: A pregnant wife dreads spending the Thanksgiving holiday with her husband’s parents due to his odd mother, who continues to baby her son well into adulthood.
About: I got sold on this script due to its one line pitch. “BARBARIAN by way of an erotic, Hallmark holiday movie.” How brilliant is that!? Screenwriter Tess Brewer is originally from Australia. She is yet to secure her first writing credit.
Writer: Tess Brewer
Details: 94 pages
