Pinned to the Trees

Logline: Follow a young person’s decent into insanity, instigated by confidant who should be doing the exact opposite.

Opening scene

The film opens very peacefully, with series of establishing shots and close-ups of the flora. Suddenly, during a close-up of a flower footsteps are heard followed by a foot aggressively crushing the flower. The audience is suddenly immersed in the high-octane action of a chase sequence of a crazed looking man and a vulnerable woman. However, it is unclear who is chasing whom in this frantic pursuit as both breathlessly struggle through the forest. Abruptly, moments before the climax, the handwritten title of ‘Pinned to the Trees’ appears fixed to a tree, flapping in the wind.

The next scene opens similarly with an establishing shot and close-ups of Dr. Valerie Carman’s office, with her newest patient, Adam Drowry, both seen prior running in the forest. Adam appears dejected and uncomfortable whilst Valerie attempts to discuss his symptoms in attempt to diagnose him. Quickly Adam becomes riled, loses his temper and tries to storm out of the session when Valerie calms him and gets him to sit back down. In attempt to relax him she tells him to think of place special to him then all of a sudden the opening cuts back to Adam sprinting in a frenzied state.

Continued Treatment

In the rest of the session Valerie councils him, diagnosing him with mild depression and insomnia, prescribing him a new drug called ‘PRIZIUM’. Although, their first session was short, Adam find great comfort in finally being able to confide in someone about his problems. A new friendship is formed and Adam feels like he can trust Valerie. He arrives at his flat noticeably more upbeat, which his girlfriend Anna mentions (she was not told by Adam that he was going to see a psychiatrist). Within the first few days, Adam feels more energetic and lively because of the drugs.

However, he is unaware of the strange side effect he is experiencing – he has become neater, more methodical and obsessive over his daily routine. This negative after affect also goes unnoticed by his girlfriend Anna who is pleased that Adam has become more alert and tidier. This OCD-like behavior starts to escalate as Adam increasingly becomes anxious about disorder within his arrangements. Adam is texted by Charlie, his best friend – asking him to come and have a drink with him at the pub (since Charlie was surprised that Adam hadn’t shown up for a friend’s party and hadn’t heard from him all week). Adam was reluctant to step out of his familiar routine but Anna persuades him to catch up with Charlie.

In the pub Charlie tells Adam that he seems much happier and Adam reveals for the first time that he is seeing a psychiatrist. Charlie seems hesitant but still praises him for seeking help. Whilst they are catching up, Charlie starts to take notice of Adam’s strange behavior and subtly questions him about it as they leave. Adam quickly dismisses him and is slightly angered by the suggestion.

At the next appointment Adam talks about the past week (that he felt less depressed but slightly more anxious) and explains how Charles’ confrontation bothers him. Valerie reassures him and tells him that he must be experiencing a common temporary side effect for which another pill ‘DUOLIN’ should be taken, to combat these anxious obsessive feelings. She also persuades him to do more exercise, suggests taking a walk in the Queens Wood just five minutes away as it will make him feel better. Adam is relieved and becomes more comfortable with Valerie, trusting his authority and knowledge.

Over the next week, however, Adam becomes more and more anxious and paranoid which starts to put a strain on his relationship with Anna and Charlie. Adam comes home one day to see the two of them sitting on the sofa expecting him. They confront him about his behaviour over the last two weeks each giving pleas, asking him to check in somewhere to receive immediate help. Adam has an outburst of anger and aggressively denies all accusations, believing that Charlie and Anna are conspiring against him. He even goes as far as to accuse Anna of being unfaithful to him with Charlie. Adam furiously slams the door and goes to the only person he feels he can truly trust at this point – Valerie.

In no time Adam reaches the practice and asks for Valerie. He storms into Valerie’s room explaining the whole situation, still enraged. Valerie calms him down, counsels him and asks if there is any previous history between Anna and Charlie (seemingly in order to subtly encourage the idea that the two are untrustworthy and have deceived him). Adam feels more paranoid, anxious and angrier than ever before, and Valerie offers him some medicine ‘TRIZINE’ to calm him down and asks to see him next week. Adam accepts in desperation, as he feels unable to control his own feelings. Valerie is aware that he is in his weakest mental state yet, so she begins to brainwash him using persuasion and asserting influence, reminding him to walk in Queens Wood again to clear his head.

After a short walk through the Wood to compose himself, Adam returns home to an empty apartment, all of Anna’s stuff is gone with nothing more than a short note apologizing; explaining that she will be staying with friends and that it would be best if he did not contact her. Adam is furious and texts Anna and Charlie increasingly abusive, jealous messages.

Over the next week, he lashes out at all those still around him and is told to take a temporary leave off of work. He starts to see, hear and feel things that aren’t really there: he sees crowds of people in empty parks, he hears and sees Anna and Charlie around his flat and feels strange crawling sensations around his body. These hallucinations progress to the point where Adam can no longer tell the difference between reality and dreams. He continues to have the recurring dream of being chased in the forest nearby Valerie’s office.

On the way to his fourth and final appointment he gets lost in his own world of vivid hallucinations and unknowingly gets lead to the forest in which he has had his recurring nightmares. Adam at this point can’t remember if this is a dream or reality as he staggers into the forest to get a closer look at the notes and objects littered throughout the forest in the distance. As he explores the forest he sees pictures,

personal items and photos of those whom he has pushed away over the last month. Suddenly, he sees and hears a figure coming towards him in the distance.

(Repeat forest opening scene)

(Continuing from the flash forward) – Adam collapses in exhaustion and delirium as Valerie appears and hovers over him explaining what she has been doing to him over the last month, explaining the lengthy experiment and the 5-pill plan. Still frozen in utter shock Adam feels unable to physically move (is this because Valerie has brainwashed Adam into obeying his orders). Valerie proceeds to pin him down and force-feed him the final 5th pill. Valerie escapes, making the killing/crime scene look like Adam committed suicide by dying of a drug overdose.