Morbid Sight

Written by A.J. Moss

Warning – This review contain spoilers.

Morbid Sight follows Sarah, a young woman with the unsettling ability to see 30 seconds into the future. Struggling with this unwanted power, Sarah seeks help from her cousin Clare, a psychiatrist who is also navigating her own troubles after the death of her father. The screenplay explores the complexities of their relationship as Clare attempts to explain away Sarah’s visions as mere intrusive thoughts born out of trauma. However, Sarah’s ability presents itself in a way that continually challenges Clare’s professional understanding and puts the tension between science and the supernatural at the forefront.

The story revolves around Sarah’s desperate need to escape from her visions, which have become more of a curse than a gift. Clare, trying to balance her professional duties with her personal struggles, offers a more grounded perspective, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that both women are trapped in their own forms of turmoil. The pacing of the screenplay is driven by suspense, with hints of psychological tension that keep the audience engaged, especially as Sarah’s visions intensify and lead toward a tragic, yet somewhat predictable, climax. The presence of a firearm early on foreshadows Sarah’s eventual demise, though the final twist involving Clare inheriting Sarah’s ability adds an interesting wrinkle to the narrative.

While the screenplay’s concept is intriguing, the execution could use more dynamism, particularly in how Sarah’s ability is portrayed. The ability to see 30 seconds into the future is visually and conceptually rich, but it isn’t used in as engaging or inventive a way as it could be. The story often feels more told than shown, with long stretches of dialogue that slow the momentum. The characters’ lines, while clear, could be more distinct and tailored to their individual personalities, as they sometimes feel interchangeable. That said, the psychological depth of the story, particularly the tension between the cousins, holds potential and could be further fleshed out in future drafts.

On a technical level, Morbid Sight is mostly polished. The main area for improvement lies in scene structure and pacing, as certain scenes and monologues feel unnecessarily drawn out. Action lines and character positioning also occasionally lack clarity, making it harder for the reader to follow the flow of the action.

Morbid Sight is an engaging psychological thriller. At only 12 pages long the screenplay packs a lot in a little amount of time. I would be interested to see what A.J. Moss can build on if he was to expanded the script into a feature to explore more of Sarah’s world.