Friends, writers — what do you think of this idea? Share your thoughts!
So, this is just a little something fun that came to my mind — a concept for a feature film, a comedy–courtroom drama that I might write later.
Legally, in almost any country, a person can leave their property to anyone in a will, but their debts are transferred by law. But what if we flip this into a criminal–procedural comedy: a man, before his death, leaves all his assets to his family and loved ones… and all his debts to his enemies?
His enemies refuse to accept this and take the case to court, arguing that they don’t agree with the will and don’t want his debts. But his lawyer defends the will, arguing that the man had the full legal right to do this — and therefore all the debts legally pass to them.
The whole story plays as a comedy, while the audience waits to see what verdict the court will deliver. And yes, I’d have to study the law and find the right loopholes, but I think it might be possible to prove that debts can be “willed” too — at least in the world of a movie.
What do you think of this idea? I’d love to hear your opinions!
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That's a unique idea, Aleksandr Rozhnov! "and all his debts to his enemies" hooked me, and I like that you're telling the story from the enemies' POV. I think the government in your story would need to pass a law so he can do that.
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Aleksandr, that's a great idea! Best of luck to you on the project!
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“Thank you very much. Maybe I’ll work on a project like this in the future, but right now I’m busy with another one — I’m working on Swallowed. The idea just popped into my head, so I decided to share it with you.”
You're welcome, Aleksandr Rozhnov.
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Well? Is it written yet? I'm ready to watch. Seriously. I would absolutely watch this. Feature or series. Such a great hook. Willing debts to his enemies? I could see some end of life debt piling up, targeted for each enemy to hurt them the most. Us getting to watch their lives unravel.
Absolutely. Please write this at some point. Yes, you'd have to establish the law a bit for believability. But I could still see it.
Well. Hang on.
What if he attached the debt to failing companies? Willed the failing companies and their attached debts to his enemies. Possibly a plausible enough loophole?
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It's an interesting idea, but not even family members can be made to pay a deceased relative's debt (unless they inherit an asset, in which case, they'd have to keep making payments on it if they wish to keep it). Maybe an attorney, or a lot of research on your part, could identify some kind of loophole though.
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The idea of presenting the story as a criminal-comedy is intriguing. However, developing a criminal-comedy can be quite challenging, requiring careful planning and execution. Despite these difficulties, it is not impossible to achieve a successful outcome in this genre. An alternative approach could be to frame the story as a sci-fi comedy. This genre allows for greater creative freedom in constructing and exploring the world within the narrative. By leveraging sci-fi elements, the possibilities for world-building become more expansive, enabling the story to stand out with unique concepts. One possible world-building concept involves creating a society where individuals can leave money and resources to their families when they die, but their enemies are obligated to pay their outstanding debts. The rules governing this world could be established to clarify how debts are transferred and how enemies are designated to bear these financial responsibilities. Such a system would offer rich opportunities for both comedic and dramatic storytelling.
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Thank you all so much for your opinions and advice. They are truly valuable, and many of your points can definitely be used.
However, I want to say two things. First, yes — this is not an easy project, because it requires a very thorough understanding of the legal system, how attorneys work, and finding (or inventing) a single loophole that could make this idea possible.
Second, I personally feel it wouldn’t be quite right to place the story in a fictional world where such a rule already exists. If we do that, the audience will simply think, “Okay, in that world this is possible,” and the intrigue is gone. But setting the story in the real world — where this is impossible, and watching attorneys fight to make it happen — that is something truly interesting to watch.
Thank you all again. Your insights mean a lot.
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By the way, I would make this film truly satirical. And to add a little twist, if I ever do this project, I would probably do two things. First, make the lawyer a dwarf. Second, the main character would actually be the lawyer, while the one who “starts” the story — the person who supposedly dies, but in reality does not — is a very clever older man who’s tired of his nagging wife and his enemies. He decides to get revenge on everyone. He fakes his death, leaves some inheritance to his wife in the will, so she thinks he’s gone, and for his enemies, he leaves debts.
A good idea is to do it through businesses: he bequeaths companies with huge debts to his enemies, almost pushing the owners to the brink of seizure. And his lawyer, the dwarf, wins the case. Then… the older man lives somewhere, for example, on an island, drinking cocktails. At the end of the film, the lawyer comes to him, and they relax together, celebrating the success of their operation.
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I think this is a fantastic idea and it could be absolutely hilarious!
From a real legal perspective, I doubt something like this would actually be possible — if transferring debts in a will were allowed, a lot of people would take advantage of it. :D
But if the film manages to creatively bend or reinterpret the legal rules, this could turn into a really entertaining and clever story. :)
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As I’m saying, if this were actually possible, the film wouldn’t really work — unless it were a documentary showing how it all happens. But here’s the thing: in reality, this is impossible. Yet if it’s played out in a way that the lawyer manages to make the debts transferable through inheritance, I think it would be very engaging. The audience would be genuinely curious to see how he achieves it and what decision the court will make.
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I think this sounds Hilarious!! Damn wouldn't that be great to be able to that?
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This sounds like a British comedy I haven't seen yet. And I've seen some weird British comedies.
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This is a brilliantly high-concept premise! It's immediately understandable, wildly original, and has built-in conflict. The comedic potential is enormous, imagine the enemies being served collection notices for things like a timeshare they never wanted or the loan on a hideous statue.
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"Aleksandr, this is a brilliant, high-concept premise for a comedy-procedural. The core conflict—the right to transfer debt via will—is immediately funny and legally compelling. It's the perfect kind of 'legal loophole' drama.
I think the greatest strength here is the potential for sharp, witty dialogue as the lawyers debate the ethical and legal gymnastics required to fight the debt. It's very much in the spirit of the directors you admire.
That's a great idea, and I'm a big fan of your approach to 'making complex ideas easy for audiences to understand.' Let me know if you ever finish the script!"