The Keepers
GENRE
THRILLER
Core Theme
COVER UPS AND CONSPIRACIES.
TIME PERIOD
1980s & '90s
COMPARABLE TITLES
TRUE DETECTIVE, TWIN PEAKS
CHARACTER LIST
• DON WILLIAMS: 30S. REPORTER.
• CHIEF ELIAS HICKS: 40S. ANTAGONIST.
• CARL JENKINS: 30S. TOWNIE.
• HENRY MOONSHINE JAMES: 40S. OWNER OF THE LOCAL INN.
• NICOLE: TEENS. LOCAL GIRL.
• DARRAH: TEENS. LOCAL GIRL.
Logline
Some secrets are so grave, they are better left buried and forever undisturbed, but when city reporter, Don Williams, arrives in town to investigate a cold case surrounding the disappearance of three men, the keepers must meet to protect what it's been hiding for more than three centuries, or else.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Male Leaning
Setting
Fictional town of Titicut, Southeastern Massachusetts.
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: with a Publisher
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Year Published: 2022
Starting Description
The story begins with a historical backdrop of evil that occurred three hundred years ago, shaking the founding fathers to the core. They would sign a compact before God swearing never to speak of the horrors they witnessed, for if it ever got out, they feared it would unleash hell on earth.
Ending Description
A member of The Keepers agrees to break his sacred oath and turn state's evidence against their order. This leads to an FBI raid at police headquarters where all officers are arrested and all property seized, releasing some of the main characters from custody, just in time.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
978-1684339525
Mature Audience Themes
Extreme Violence, Language/Profanity
Plot - Other Elements
Twist
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain,Other
Main Character Details
Name: Elias Hicks
Age: 40ish
Gender: Male
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Masculine,Religious,Confident,Decisive,Faithful,Leader,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Cam Jenkins
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Underdog,Charming,Sarcastic,Confident,Naive
Additional Character Details
Name: Don Williams
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Role: protagonist
Key Traits: Outspoken,Engaging,Sophisticated,Honorable,Gracious,Empathetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Henry James (Moonshine)
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Obedient,Complex,Skillful,Criminal
Genre
ACTION, SUSPENSE, THRILLER, DRAMA, RELIGION, FANTASY
Brief
Don Williams is a reporter that arrives in the city of Titicut to investigate the disappearance of 3 men in 1973. However, the mystery is much deeper than it seems, as secrets that date back to more than 300 need to be uncovered to solve it – and the outcome may even out of God’s control.
Overall Rating
EXCELLENT
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: EXCELLENT
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: GOOD
Pace: EXCELLENT
Premise: EXCELLENT
Structure: GOOD
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
Book profile is fairly complete.
Draw of Story
What drew me into it immediately is the setting of the calm city of Titicut and also the unusual turn of events that keep the story both relatable and completely otherworldly from the beginning.
Possible Drawbacks
Nothing made me want to put the book down.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
I would watch this movie because even though a thriller, author was able to add a more sophisticated atmosphere to it, be it in settings and also in the depth of feelings evoked by the plotline and characters.
Fanbase Potential
This could have a large fanbase if adapted mainly due to the specificities of characters and their capacity to create identification and from this point evoke feelings such as hate, love or urge for revenge, adding up more layers to the story than most common thrillers.
Awards Potential
It could have awards potential because period settings and overall plot would allow – and require – great art direction. Classy photography is also a must in order to match the depth of layers and existential and religious dilemmas involved in the secrets kept by the Keepers.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
DARK (NETFLIX SERIES)
What’s New About the Story
What makes it special is the author’s capacity of creating a horror story that evokes more than fear, but a feeling of divine helplessness able to mess with the minds of even the most religious beings, along with some historical drama.
Lead Characters
Lead characters vary between naivety and malice, extremes that are delt by the author with ability and charisma, creating a dynamic of love and hate that is mutually fed.
Uniqueness of Story
It could be improved in terms of development and depth of female characters, who are only superficially described. The ending also leaves a few loose ends.
Possible Formats
Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming TV Series: Network, Cable, Limited Run / Mini-Series, Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
RECOMMEND
Justification
I recommend it because thrillers and horror stories may become interesting due to its fear inducing characters but what takes this one to the next level is its capacity to evoke more than superficial drama. Even though it requires more work on story arch, author creates an unusually rich universe.
Brief
Reporter Don Williams arrives in the town of Titicut to investigate the 1973 disappearance of 3 men. He gets more than he bargained for when he uncovers the truth, a centuries-old mystery that has once again come to light.
What We Liked
There’s a great balance of action, suspense, and mystery here. And not dissimilar to, say, TWIN PEAKS, or perhaps even the first season of STRANGER THINGS, there’s a small-town feel about the manuscript that makes the plot line feel manageable. The cast of characters also feels manageable, with each person having a clearly defined role to play.
Film: There’s enough richness here to fill a feature script, and the story has a clear enough beginning, middle, and end to make adaptation into the format feel justified. With a rich cast of characters, a compelling antagonist, and a small-town, approachable feel, THE KEEPERS feels like a suitable candidate for feature adaptation.
TV: A story like this would fit the television format nicely, both because of its alluring setting and because of the continuity factor inherently present throughout. There’s so much to explore about this world, and about these characters, that it feels like it could be sustained over at least a season, if not more.
Key points:
Action/suspense.
Fantasy elements.
Contained setting.
International appeal.
Conspiracy/mystery.
Synopsis
OFFICER STEVENS is called to the site of an abandoned car, to find a terrified CARL JENKINS inside. Meanwhile, CAM and RANDY linger outside the local high school, waiting to burglarize it. NICOLE and DARRAH finish having sex with random men, before hurrying to meet Cam and Randy. Later, chaos ensues and a truck full of the high school football players is drowned while chasing Cam and Randy. Nicole and Darrah decide to help them cover up the disappearance of the players.
CHIEF ELIAS HICKS violently interrogates Carl Jenkins, as Carl claims he was attacked by a monstrous, horrifying creature. Simultaneously, journalist DON WILLIAMS arrives in town to investigate the 1973 disappearance of three men: John Hooke, Paul Andrews and Mark Fuller. Carl Jenkins was the lone survivor.
Don checks into Henry Moonshine James’s inn. He tells Don of the war that happened in town in 1675, and the mysterious events that followed Officer Stevens is killed, and rumors begin to flat that the creature- first seen during the war- is back.
Don begins to investigate the creature, leading to chaos and confusion. He partners with Cam, who helps him understand the events at play. When the creature emerges from the local swamp, the city shuts down and people begin to succumb to its wrath.
Sergeant Guthrie begins to suspect that its existence is being covered up by an underground group, The Keepers. He begins working with the FBI to uncover its leader, Elias Hicks, and they subdue him. The town begins to rebuild. All is well.