TITLE CARD: THE KNIFE JOB INT. COLLEGE BUILDING: DAY Two lads, both 17 years old, wearing tracksuit pants and hoodies, sit in a corridor with their backs to a large window overlooking the college grounds. In a few moments, one of these may be a killer- an ASSAILANT. The other is already the INSTIGATOR. ASSAILANT I saw him ride off on it. There was a car boot sale last week as well… I only found out yesterday. There’s no way he didn’t sell it. I mean, it’s just a bike,...

EXT. MCD’S- DAY- NO SOUND People are walking into the restaurant. Behind the window teenagers eat. FLASH- a BLINDING WHITE LIGHT appears inside, then smoke fills the glass. After a beat, teenage sized hands start to slap the glass, leaving bloody handprints. The slapping gets harder, then- INT. CAR- DAY TOM jolts. He’s been dreaming, but now he’s awake: back in his original and very real nightmare. CALLUM Almost there lad. CALLUM has driven to some random suburb of Manchest...

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GREAT BRITAIN By Matt Tuckey BSc Hons. INT. BEDROOM- DAY TOM CHARNOCK, twenty-two, our protagonist, files his degree certificate in a folder with care. TOM (V/O) After all the graft and all the stress, after all the anticipation of finishing the course and finally making some money, how was I rewarded? Then he files a Jobseeker’s form- again, in his name. TOM (V/O, CONT.) What is wrong with this country? MUSIC: Summer in G Minor- Four Seasons- Vivaldi TITLE: ONCE U...

INT. ROYAL APARTMENTS- DAY Tom shuts the door and locks it. He presses his back against the door and sighs, nervously. There’s no one in. Dave and Tony are probably on the bar. Tom switches the TV on. It’s an amateur pirate broadcast, probably made by students- a studio programme with dodgy lighting. Two people are being interviewed in front of an audience. Tom puts the Tracksuit top in a bin liner from under the sink. He pours some Jack Daniels and ice into a glass and sits, sipp...

INT. BEDROOM-DAY Tom’s phone is ringing. Tom has been put to bed with all his clothes on, and there’s oil and dust all over the sheets. He recognises the Dr Dre theme and jolts, disorientated. Takes his suit off quickly and kicks it to the other side of the room, disgusted in what he has done while wearing it. He winces- the bruise from the bullet on his chest is still bad. Tom hesitantly picks the phone up.   DEVANT Mr. Charnock?   In shock, Tom throws the phone away, l...

INT. ROYAL APARTMENTS- DAY. TOM knocks on the door. TONY opens; looks Tom up and down. Tom is covered in dust, oil, blood and sweat. Tony nods him inside. DAVE leans on a kitchen cabinet at the other side of the flat, drying a very dangerous- looking steak knife. A few other utensils are drip-drying. Dave is sporting the shiner that Tom gave him.   DAVE I read in Arena that as soon as you finish washing a steak knife… You’ve gotta dry it there and then. The moment you let it...

EXT. MCD’S- DAY- NO SOUND   People are walking into the restaurant. Behind the window teenagers eat. FLASH- a BLINDING WHITE LIGHT appears inside, then smoke fills the glass. After a beat, teenage sized hands start to slap the glass, leaving bloody handprints. The slapping gets harder, then-   INT. CAR- DAY TOM jolts. He’s been dreaming, but now he’s awake: back in his original and very real nightmare.   CALLUM Almost there lad.   CALLUM has driven to som...

EXT. WAREHOUSE-DAY As TOM leaves the warehouse a short 16-year-old approaches him wearing marbled jeans and a Benneton jumper- CALLUM. He has a rucksack on both shoulders.   CALLUM Are you Tom?   In an instant, TOM whips out the Beretta and pins the guy to the wall by the neck. He puts the gun in the boy’s face. CALLUM won’t look TOM in the eye. He’s terrified. TOM examines him, trying to figure out if he knows him or if he’s dangerous. CALLUM has what looks ...

INT. WAREHOUSE, MANCHESTER-DAY   The van reverses in and stops. The door is pulled closed by a shady character. The two hooded figures pull tom out of the van. People are shrink-wrapping pallets of computer CPU’s. The people pull their hoodies over their faces and face away from Tom. The place is very unfriendly. DVDs are being produced on multiple burners. Covers are being printed and boxes are piled up. A white powder is being mixed with dried baby milk- cocaine, and, in a nearby...

EXT. BUSY MANCHESTER STREET-MORNING A small Chinese lady- YAN- YAN- discreetly approaches passing shoppers, flashing the contents of a small satchel. She constantly looks around warily, as if she shouldn’t be there. As Tom approaches her… DAVE (V/O) She’s in the same spot, seven days a week, come rain or shine. She’ll approach anyone, and she’ll sell and sell and sell. But as soon as any police show up… Two PCSO’s stroll down the street. They&rs...