Logline
When a grieving Black family moves into a picture-perfect suburban neighborhood for a
fresh start, they quickly discover that the smiles are fake, the neighbors are watching,
and the entire community may be part of a demonic cult fixated on consuming their pain.
Trapped in a nightmare of manipulated grief and spiritual infiltration, the family must hold
together—or be sanctified as the next offering.
Synopsis
After the tragic loss of their youngest son, the Jones family relocates to Sunset Grove—a
pristine, Stepford-like suburban community promising peace and healing. But from the
moment they arrive, things feel off. The neighbors are too friendly, too in sync. Eyes
linger too long. Conversations feel rehearsed. As the Joneses try to settle into their new
life, subtle disturbances grow more sinister: flickering lights, shadowy figures, and
neighborhood gatherings that reek of ritual rather than welcome.
As the days pass, each family member is psychologically pulled in different directions.
Mack and Sadie begin to unravel under the weight of unresolved grief and eerie
coincidences, while their children, Carla and Shawn, encounter warnings from strange
classmates and paranormal phenomena in their rooms. Meanwhile, the neighbors—led
by a chilling cult leader disguised as a preacher—spy, record, and manipulate the family
with religious fervor. The truth surfaces: Sunset Grove is a front for a decades-old cult
that feeds on emotional suffering to summon and satisfy a demonic force.
Now, with their bond cracking and escape seemingly impossible, the Jones family must
confront their own trauma and unify against a community that thrives on division and
sacrifice. In a town where grief is currency and smiles are masks, survival depends not
on blending in—but on fighting back. As the cult closes in, the question becomes: can
love and memory protect a family from being spiritually devoured.
2 people like this
SANCTIFIED sounds really interesting and unique, James Brown!
I think your logline needs to be tightened up. It's 65 words. Try to keep your logline to 35 words or less. Long loglines can make producers, directors, etc. pass on a project. Loglines can be two sentences, but a one-sentence logline sounds better, and it takes less time for a producer, director, etc. to read it.
It says "family must confront their own trauma and unify against a community that thrives on division and sacrifice" in the synopsis. I suggest using that in the logline instead of "the family must hold together."
Overall, great synopsis. "As the days pass, each family member is psychologically pulled in different directions." I suggest telling more about the different directions. I also suggest telling more about the characters, like their personalities. And I suggest telling how the script ends instead of ending with a question.
The premise sounds very similar to the TV series "Them."
1 person likes this
Maurice Vaughan thank you for the feed back
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E Langley i got some slight inspiration from them and Lovecraft country with a modernized approach
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Okay.
You're welcome, James Brown.
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E Langley also Sanctified has more to do with ritualistic practice and tradition, rather than Thems racial ambiguity and focal reach towards the family's skin color
2 people like this
Maurice provides solid advice.
Thanks, Ray Fontenault.
Hi James Brown. Stage 32 is an amazing community to ask advice about your Logline, but the right Lounge to publish is on the Screenwriters Lounge or The Writers’ Room lounge. The Producing lounge is for subjects about production. Next time, you must publishing in the appropriate lounges, where you will have more feedback. Any doubt, I am here and you are always welcome.
I go now to move your post for the Screenwriting Lounge, where is the place to be James Brown. Thank You.
Looks like a solid concept.
A grieving family, thorn apart by their new neighborhood’s demonic cult that consumes other people’s pain, survives spiritual devour by sticking together through memories and love.