A Native vampire’s family is killed. Alone in the world of humans, he struggles to understand his nature, branded as “other”, hunted by his family’s killer, haunted by the reality of his nature.
SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY REVIEW:
“’Death Rode the Caravan’ is a very fascinating script because it takes a familiar trope and completely remixes it through its characters. The opening image sets the tone very well and the vivid imagery absolutely paints a picture as to what we’d be seeing.
Protagonist & tone
This is a horror origin story about duality and what it means to be human. It is centered on a Native character, Death Bird, but his kind are not human. He is a vampiric creature from a species that are an offshoot of humanity.
Central crisis narrative
A Coming-of-age tale. Alone, a young Death Bird tries to find a guide to help him understand his nature. As he continues to consume blood, (the host for knowledge), he struggles with his emerging true nature. He sees human vampires as monsters, but he is not one of those monsters.
Setting
Death Rode the Caravan is set in the American Southwest. The story setting is Western with Western tropes and plays on notions of prey and hunter. It features the SW’s dramatic landscape and the region’s natural animal world.
Emotional Arc
As Death Bird gains knowledge through drinking human blood, he changes from timid, hiding as prey, to a confident hunter, to one stalked and hunted. Ultimately, with his true nature revealed he becomes fearless as humankind’s apex predator.