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BEAUTIFUL MONSTERS
By Travis James Annabel

GENRE: Drama
LOGLINE:

A young conservative woman befriends a polyamorous group of pansexual people and embarks on a journey of self-discovery, despite the disapproval of her homophobic boyfriend.

SYNOPSIS:

MOLLY HARPER accidently offends her gay lecturer, ANSON SMITH when she makes a speech about the problematic nature of the term LGBT. He tasks her with investigating the LGBT community and writing an essay that proves she has really learnt something. When she tells her boyfriend OLIVER FAWKES about it, she discovers that he is HOMOPHOBIC and accidently reveals Professor Smith’s sexuality to him. Meanwhile, LAYLA, PETER, ASHLEY and CALUM are a group of PANSEXUAL people in a POLYAMOROUS relationship. Layla laments the fact that she is the only woman in the group (Ashley is Transgender), so they decide to begin searching for a “newbie” to join them. Upon seeing Molly in a Café, Layla is immediately attracted to her, and Ashley decides to approach her. Oliver insults Ashley with a transphobic slur, which results in Peter attacking him. Sensing that Molly isn’t like her boyfriend, Layla gives her phone number to the young woman. Later, Peter reveals to Layla that he lost his temper because he used to be homophobic like Oliver, and he’s ashamed about it.

Molly and Layla organise to meet for a drink the next day, where they flirt and eventually kiss. When she drops Molly back to University, Molly encounters Oliver who she dumps on the spot. As a result, Oliver decides to blame Professor Smith for steering Molly down this path, and he graffiti’s Smith’s car with homophobic slurs. When Smith confronts Molly about the vandalism, she reveals she told Oliver about Smith’s sexuality. Smith tells her to drop his class and not bother with her essay, because she’ll never understand what LGBT people go through. Peter reveals to Ashley that he used to be married with a kid, but he won’t tell her what happened, although she suspects something bad. Layla organises a night out with the whole group to properly introduce them to Molly. Molly learns a bit about each of them at dinner, before they take MDMA and hit a club. At the club, Peter begins to have visions of his daughter and he runs off. It’s revealed through his hallucinations that his wife caught him having sex with a man. Meanwhile, Oliver, who has been stalking Molly confronts her, and when Ashley tries to defend Molly, Oliver pushes her down a flight of stairs. Ashley is rushed to hospital. Peter has recovered from his episode and he, Layla and Calum meet Molly at the hospital. An enraged Peter forces Molly to tell her where Oliver lives, and he goes after him. That night, Layla sleeps with Molly, while Peter abducts Oliver in Layla’s car.

A flashback reveals that Peter’s wife attempted to kill herself and their daughter, although only their daughter died. In the present, Peter is taking Oliver out of the city into some bushland. Ashley is released from hospital, and Layla realises what Peter is doing. Using a tracking app, she and the others go after him. Peter has taken Oliver to a cliff in some bushland and is about to push him off when he sees a vision of his daughter, and instead lets Oliver go. He recounts his tragic past to Oliver, who begins to understand how his behaviour can be so harmful. He comforts Peter until Layla and the others show up. Molly finishes her essay for Smith, who is surprised and impressed with it. She moves in with Layla and the others and begins a relationship with them, while Oliver begins to volunteer for an LGBT charity. A final scene shows the group revelling at the Mardi Gras, while Molly discusses how she thinks what they have together is something beautiful, even if there are elements of society that will brand them as monsters.

Barry A.A. Dillinger

Rated this logline

Travis James Annabel

Hi Barry, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this longline and why you feel it warranted a 1-star review. Cheers

Bradley Bergling

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