A modern home overlooking the Oakland Hills and San Francisco Bay at twilight

A psychological crime thriller

The
Neighbor

Written by David WestDirected by Kyle Scott

Status

Pre-Production · Fully Funded

Principal Photography

October 20, 2027 · 21-Day Shoot

Production

Cape Town, South Africa · Setting: Oakland, CA

Intended Release

September 2028

In Peace Publishing · KeyScott Entertainment · Blue Ice Africa

Enter the story

01At a glance

A quiet street. A perfect home. A neighbor who has been waiting.

Logline

When a professional basketball player moves his family to the Oakland Hills, their eccentric neighbor’s bizarre boundary violations reveal a terrifying reality: he has spent sixteen years grooming a vulnerable youth into his personal hitman.

The story in brief

The Neighbor is a cautionary tale recounted by pro basketball star Donny Wes. Strange, forced interactions with Norman Chata become a nightmare when Norman poisons the family dogs. The dispute rips the lid off a hidden life: a calculating psychopath who orchestrated the murders of his business partners and ultimately his wife, using a hitman he groomed from childhood.

02Expanded synopsis

The anatomy of a monster

Act IThe Boundary Violations

Donny and Yelsel Wes move into a quiet Oakland Hills neighborhood and are targeted by Norman Chata. Dumping trash and operatic singing at dawn escalate as Yelsel and the family dogs sense Norman’s true nature—leading to the secret poisoning of the pets.

Act IIThe Hidden Psychopath

The narrative shifts to Norman’s secret life. Over sixteen years, he groomed Kenny Morrison, transforming him from a vulnerable twelve-year-old tennis student into a deadly personal hitman used to execute business partners and seize wealth.

Act IIIThe Ultimate Deception

Norman orchestrates the murder of his own wife, Dr. Patricia Chata, commanding Kenny to shoot her during a staged street robbery—then plays the grieving widower to garner media sympathy.

Act IVThe House of Cards Falls

Detective Linda Chen connects matching ballistics, witness testimony, and the history of Norman’s grooming. Arrested and stripped of his facade, Norman takes his own life in custody, leaving his victims to face his destructive legacy.

03Principal characters

Six lives caught in his orbit

Norman Chata

50s / 60s

The eccentric neighbor and calculating psychopath. A seemingly harmless annoyance revealed as the architect of a sixteen-year conspiracy.

Donny Wes

30s / 40s

A grounded former professional basketball player forced to fight for the peace and safety of his family.

Yelsel Wes

30s / 40s

Highly intuitive and fiercely protective. Her warnings are dismissed—until she is proven horrifyingly right.

Kenny Morrison

20s

A vulnerable child groomed into a weapon. Blind loyalty gives way to the devastating truth of his stolen life.

Detective Linda Chen

40s

A relentless, razor-sharp investigator who sees through staged scenes and media spectacle.

Dr. Patricia Chata

50s

An accomplished doctor, unknowingly married to a monster whose greed dictates her demise.

Conceptual casting imagery · Final cast to be announced

A neighboring house seen through rain-streaked blinds

04Director’s vision

Watching—or being watched

“The most dangerous monsters don’t hide in the shadows. They live next door.”

Tone & feel

Mounting dread, psychological claustrophobia, and relentless tension.

Visual language

Voyeuristic and objective. Creeping push-ins and obstructed frames unsettle the audience.

Editing rhythm

A slow burn that tightens into a heart-pounding procedural during Chen’s investigation.

What makes it different

A domestic thriller opens into a multi-decade true-crime conspiracy and criminal takedown.

— Kyle Scott, Director

05Visual world

Beauty conceals the rot beneath

A shadowed luxury interior lit by amber lamps — Amber practicals · Darkness in plain sight

An empty interrogation room — The procedural tightens

A house observed through blinds — Obstructed frames · Voyeuristic distance

06Tone & comparables

Prestige tension. Commercial instinct.

Social tension

The Gift

The agonizing discomfort of unwanted gifts and forced neighborly interactions.

Atmosphere & procedure

Prisoners

Dark, atmospheric imagery fused with an intense and relentless investigation.

Sociopathy & spectacle

Nightcrawler

A predator’s ability to manipulate media and public perception for personal gain.

07Market opportunity

Built for the global thriller audience

25–55

Primary demographic

Adult thriller and true-crime audiences

Global

Geographic appeal

The Bay Area’s cultural recognition travels

Two

Core audiences

Thriller devotees and procedural fans

Premium

Commercial window

Theatrical and streaming acquisition potential

The adult-skewing thriller market offers high return potential for focused, mid-budget productions across theatrical windows and premium streaming acquisitions.

08The team

A global production. A singular vision.

David West

Writer / Executive Producer

Former NBA Player

Kyle Scott

Director / Executive Producer

Award-winning director and producer who has filmed in 41+ countries across 6 continents for major global brands

Jamez T.

Executive Producer

Music industry executive turned film producer

Ama K. Abebrese

Producer

Golden Globe Nominee

Sarsha Venord

Co-Producer

Grammy-Winning Management in Music

Roger Alexander

Director of Photography

Award-Winning

Warren Grey

2-Time Emmy-Winning Production Designer

Rahvynn Drummer

Casting Director