Cutscene Sample Screenplay

The following is a short screenplay written in the form of a brief, 4-minute cinematic cutscene for a video game.

EXT. VILLAGE ROAD – LATE AFTERNOON

A dirt road, bounded on one side by forest, leads up a gentle slope to a village secured by a perimeter wall.

Refugees trudge along, some in carts, most on foot. FOCUS on two refugees in particular: sisters MARNICA, 19, and REYA, 12, who lean on each other for support as they trudge towards the village. Reya’s wheezing.

MARNICA
Easy now. We’re almost there.

EXT. THE FOREST – LATE AFTERNOON

An UNKEMPT GIRL, mid 20s, races through the woods, her breathing ragged with terror. Behind her, the trees tremble and sway. A grating SCREECH fills the air.

EXT. VILLAGE ROAD – A FEW MINUTES LATER

The unkempt girl bursts out of the woods and onto the road, startling the refugees.

UNKEMPT GIRL
Machines! In the woods! Ma–

Trees creak and snap as an enormous KILLER ROBOT claws its way out of the forest, its metallic SCREAM drowning out everything else. Dull grey and spherical, it sways forward on long, wickedly sharp spider legs. 

One of the legs punches down as the unkempt woman attempts to flee. Her scream cuts off abruptly. The robot picks its way over her body, unfazed.

Panic electrifies the refugees and everyone flees for the village.

EXT. VILLAGE GATES – CONTINUOUS

The HEAD GUARD, spotting the robot, rallies his soldiers.

HEAD GUARD
(shouting)
Close the gates! 

SOLDIER #1
What about the refugees out there?

HEAD GUARD
Worry more about the people in here. Close those gates now!

Soldiers rush to crank the wheel mechanism and the giant wooden gates to the village start to slowly close.

EXT. VILLAGE ROAD – CONTINUOUS

Marnica and Reya dash towards the village.

MARNICA
Wait! Please! 

The robot scuttles inexorably behind them, heedless of the refugees it impales or crushes in its path. 

Reya stumbles.

REYA
(coughing)
I can’t… I can’t breathe…

EXT. VILLAGE GATES – CONTINUOUS

The gates are almost halfway shut, with soldiers manually heaving against the gates to close them faster. Desperate refugees continue to dash through the shrinking space.

EXT. VILLAGE ROAD – CONTINUOUS

MARNICA
Up up up, c’mon Reya —

Reya struggles back to her feet. Ahead, the gates are three-quarters shut. Behind, the robot sweeps one unlucky refugee to the side without slowing down.

REYA
We’re not going to make it.

Marnica heaves in a deep breath. She kisses Reya on the forehead once, twice.

MARNICA
You’re right, we’re not. But you are.

REYA
No, no–

MARNICA
(firmly)
Yes.

Marnica spots a discarded spear on the road and grabs it. Sprinting towards the robot, she slides into a fighter’s stance and launches the spear.

It strikes left of center in the robot’s red eye in a shower of sparks. 

MARNICA
(to the robot)
Hurts, doesn’t it?

Screeching, the robot staggers to a halt and pries the projectile out with its front legs. Its damaged eye swivels to focus solely on Marnica.

MARNICA
Go, Reya. I love you. Run!

Reya gets to her feet and starts running. Marnica dashes in the opposite direction and dives, sliding beneath and behind the robot as it sways towards her. Grabbing a rock, she tosses it at its exposed back. It whirs around, sparks dribbling from its damaged eye.

MARNICA
That’s right. Come and get me.

She veers left, towards the woods, while the robot gives chase.

EXT. VILLAGE GATES – CONTINUOUS

Reya runs, waving raggedly at the soldiers as she stumbles closer and closer to the gates. She dares one look back.

EXT. VILLAGE ROAD – CONTINUOUS

The robot whips a vicious leg at Marnica. She dodges just in time, rolling into the underbrush. The robot follows the movement of the leaves and pounces, its knife-like legs stabbing over and over into the ferns and bushes. The leaves stop moving. The robot whirls around, its sparking red eye focused once more on the village.

EXT. VILLAGE GATES – CONTINUOUS

Reya trips, but before she can fall, one of the soldiers breaks out of formation and catches her, dragging her through the gates with seconds to spare.

REYA
(screaming)
MARNIE!

The gates groan shut with a heavy, final thud.

END