An ex-con out to kill the reformed paedophile he believes murdered his child, falls for the man’s protective sister – and must pick a side when town hysteria reaches boiling point.

The dilemma:

1. Kill a potentially innocent man. Lose the girl. Go back to prison. His inability to let go of the past wins. Gives into his violence – his worst self. He becomes the villain. (Ironically, he also becomes the town hero.)

or

2. Defend a potentially guilty man. Get the girl. Fight a mob that includes family and friends. He becomes a hero (though not quite in an Atticus Finch sense). He becomes the least likely avatar of morality among the savagery and civilisation’s worst side. (By association, he becomes as worse as the reformed paedophile and a hated man. So yeah – he’s in trouble too.)

Themes:
Doubt. Morality and savagery (what stops us from becoming animals?).
Change. Forgiveness.

– There’s a slight ticking clock here. A Sophie’s choice dilemma. A trap/crucible.

It’s fair to say – there’s an odd couple at the centre of it.

Shorter version: (potentially the marketing logline)

An ex-con trapped in a house with the reformed paedophile he believes murdered his child – must pick a side when town hysteria reaches boiling point.

Admittedly I don’t want to chop the sister out of it but I think this one works too. I like the trapped element. It’s very lean too.