Hey everyone,

I’m currently developing a script for a feature-length movie (aiming for a gritty, cinematic psychological drama) and wanted to get some honest feedback on the core premise from fellow writers.

Here’s the basic setup:

What if a 18-19 year-old guy suddenly wakes up in an alternate universe/timeline where everything is exactly the same—the city, his house, his friends, his parents—except for one thing: he never existed. His mother doesn't recognize him, his friends think he’s a stranger, and there is absolutely no record of his birth or identity. He is essentially a 'ghost' in a familiar world.

To make things more intense, he is dropped 1-2 years back in time. So while he has no legal identity or roof over his head, he possesses the ultimate weapon—complete knowledge of the immediate future of this world.

Instead of making it a typical "save the world" superhero sci-fi, I want to focus heavily on the psychological and emotional survival. The story follows his journey from absolute isolation and panic to using his future-knowledge to survive unofficially, while trying to slow-burn his way back into the lives of his friends and family as a "stranger" who knows them better than they know themselves.

The ultimate conflict is whether he should find a way back to his original universe where he belongs, or sacrifice his old existence to protect this version of his family from an impending future crisis.

I want to keep the tone very raw, grounded, and emotionally heavy (think Erased meets Steins;Gate but set in a realistic, gritty middle-class environment).

Do you guys think this premise has enough leg to hold a 2-hour cinematic movie? Or does the "waking up in a parallel universe where I don't exist" trope feel too saturated? Would love to hear your thoughts on the potential or any blind spots I should watch out for.

Thanks in advance! (And don't forget to leave a feedback, whatever it feel like. Even a thumbs up or thumbs down would be ok.)

Hey everyone,

I’m currently developing a script for a feature-length movie (aiming for a gritty, cinematic psychological drama) and wanted to get some honest feedback on the core premise from fellow writers.

Here’s the basic setup:

What if a 18-19 year-old guy suddenly wakes up in an alternate universe/timeline where everything is exactly the same—the city, his house, his friends, his parents—except for one thing: he never existed. His mother doesn't recognize him, his friends think he’s a stranger, and there is absolutely no record of his birth or identity. He is essentially a 'ghost' in a familiar world.

To make things more intense, he is dropped 1-2 years back in time. So while he has no legal identity or roof over his head, he possesses the ultimate weapon—complete knowledge of the immediate future of this world.

Instead of making it a typical "save the world" superhero sci-fi, I want to focus heavily on the psychological and emotional survival. The story follows his journey from absolute isolation and panic to using his future-knowledge to survive unofficially, while trying to slow-burn his way back into the lives of his friends and family as a "stranger" who knows them better than they know themselves.

The ultimate conflict is whether he should find a way back to his original universe where he belongs, or sacrifice his old existence to protect this version of his family from an impending future crisis.

I want to keep the tone very raw, grounded, and emotionally heavy (think Erased meets Steins;Gate but set in a realistic, gritty middle-class environment).

Do you guys think this premise has enough leg to hold a 2-hour cinematic movie? Or does the "waking up in a parallel universe where I don't exist" trope feel too saturated? Would love to hear your thoughts on the potential or any blind spots I should watch out for.

Thanks in advance! (And don't forget to leave a feedback, whatever it feel like. Even a thumbs up or thumbs down would be ok.)