LOG LINE: Following a near fatal accident a traumatized young ad executive forgets he’s a killer with a purpose, but as he recovers his sordid past and his evil intentions progressively resurface.
SYNOPSIS: This story begins with a very intense scene that focuses on the terror of a WOMAN IN THE WOODS as she flees from her relentless pursuer, and bashes into a tree, where she’s caught and killed (heard-not seen).
By landing the top position in a Chicago ad agency, BRANDON FISHER gets close to the last woman he needs to kill, SOPHIA MARTIN. However, on an emotional high from his lavish promotion party, Brandon is involved in a near fatal accident while driving home. His beautiful girlfriend is dead at the scene and Brandon’s rushed to the hospital where he undergoes major brain surgery, a resurrected 1930’s procedure called a lobectomey (partial removal of the brain), performed by world-renowned neurosurgeon, DR. THERON BARNES. The doctor’s been experimenting on animals and theorizing about his findings in the American Medical Journal.
Having temporarily lost part of his memory, Brandon doesn’t entirely comprehend who he is. He develops uncontrollable outbursts of temper, and experiences multiple visions (flashbacks) of murders, which he finds terribly confusing and emotionally disturbing. To help him cope, he agrees to therapy sessions with DR. HELEN CRANDALL, and openly shares his sordid childhood. But as more of his memories resurface, he becomes increasingly frustrated and volatile.
During Brandon’s gradual recovery his job performance is top-notch. He befriends and becomes intimate with Sophia, not realizing he has it in for her until his Memoria reaches a climax in Act III.
The Woman in the Woods’ body is discovered in the middle of Act II, when a dog, belonging to two hikers, retrieves her severed arm. Having the same M.O. as the other four murder victims, this discovery entices detectives CARL LARSEN and PATRICIA ZALINSKI to investigate the homicide. With the insight of a powerful psychic they become convinced the wrong guy fried. The pursuit of fresh clues takes the detectives from Dallas to Chicago to locate the next victim, before it’s too late.
During his last particularly trying session with Dr. Crandall, and recalling who he is (his Memoria), what he’s done, and what his evil intentions are, Brandon is pushed over the edge and tells all. He snaps, brutally beats Crandall unconscious, then fatally shoots an innocent patient who walks into the middle of it.
On his way to kill Sophia, Brandon is unaware detectives have arrived at the Clinic’s bloody scene. They radio to inform another pair of detectives en route to Sophia’s home. They arrive to discover Sophia in the bathroom with Brandon who’s impaled on a butcher knife. With his last ounce of strength, Brandon attempts to kill Sophia. A detective blows him away, and moments before he expires, we see a montage of revealing flashbacks that bring it all together, including a shocking revelation that Dr. Barnes would have appreciated knowing about.