When a grieving immigrant mother in 1980s Philadelphia’s suburbs holds captive the man she believes killed her daughter, she forms an unlikely alliance with her neighbor—another mother willing to do anything to protect her own family. Two women caught between faith, fear, and the desperate need for justice. Think Prisoners meets Mystic River—a tense, character-driven thriller with layered roles for two powerhouse actresses over 50, rich with awards-season potential.

SYNOPSIS:

The story is set in suburban Pennsylvania, beginning in 1983. It follows two women: Anna Barros, a Brazilian immigrant, and Janet Shepard, an African American woman, who are close friends and neighbors. Their teenage daughters, Camila and Sonya, are also best friends. Their peaceful suburban life is shattered when both girls are attacked by a stranger, who manages to kidnap Camila while Sonya escapes with injuries.

Three days later, Camila's body is found by the Schuylkill River. The trauma of this loss deeply affects both families, particularly Anna, whose husband eventually abandons her and returns to Brazil. Two years later, in 1985, a man named Colin breaks into Janet's house. After subduing him, Janet discovers he matches the description of Camila's killer. She involves Anna, and together they chain Colin in Anna's basement.

The women investigate Colin's background, visiting his mother's house and finding disturbing evidence, including photographs of women of color taken without their knowledge. While Janet struggles with the morality of their actions, Anna remains convinced of Colin's guilt. The situation becomes more complicated when the police announce they've found Camila's killer - a man named Matthew Phillips, who allegedly confessed to his girlfriend before she killed him in self-defense.

Anna decides to release Colin, but before she can, he reveals details about Camila that only her killer would know. In the ensuing confrontation, Anna shoots him. However, instead of killing him, she keeps him chained in her basement for the next 30 years, while Janet and her family move away.

The story concludes in 2015 with Anna's death. When authorities find her body, they also discover Colin in the basement, still alive but mentally broken. DNA evidence eventually confirms his guilt in multiple murders. The screenplay ends at Anna's funeral, where Janet, now in her 80s, delivers a touching eulogy that references "A Tale of Two Cities," bringing the story full circle from the book club scene that opened the narrative.

The screenplay explores themes of justice, motherhood, racial prejudice, and the moral complexities of revenge, while questioning the nature of justice in a system that often fails minorities and women.