Second Death - A Logline, Treatment script and short - and full screenplay
TITLE: Second Death
GENRE:
Supernatural Horror / Mystery / Drama
SETTING:
The old health center in Sodankylä, Finland — isolated, creaking, half-abandoned, and awaiting demolition.
LOGLINE:
When Sodankylä’s aging health center begins to echo with ghostly activity, townspeople discover the spirits of nurses and patients trapped in endless suffering—and an infamous dead doctor, still performing “treatments” long after his first death. As demolition day arrives, the ghosts face their second and final death: redemption for some, damnation for one.
STORY TREATMENT (2–3 pages)
Premise
For decades, Sodankylä’s small health center hid a quiet horror: patients disappearing, unexplained deaths, and whispers about a doctor whose methods resembled the “angel of death” archetype—cold, clinical, fascinated with suffering. After his death, the strange events did not stop. Today, the center stands nearly empty, awaiting demolition—yet lights flicker on, wheelchairs move by themselves, and nighttime staff refuse to enter certain rooms.
Main Characters
-
AINO KORHONEN, 34 — a newly arrived nurse, compassionate yet troubled by past burnout.
-
VEIKKO MÄNTY, 62 — the last caretaker of the health center, loyal but haunted.
-
DR. KLAUS REHN, deceased — a ghostly doctor trapped in the old building. Tall, pale, meticulous, obsessed. He speaks in calm, clinical tones.
-
GHOST NURSES — spirits of nurses who died decades earlier, trapped in eternal duty.
-
PATIENT GHOSTS — frightened, confused, wanting freedom but unable to escape Dr. Rehn’s hold.
Act I – Arrival
Aino arrives to help close the center before demolition. Strange phenomena start immediately:
-
A gurney rolls across the hall by itself.
-
Old pagers chirp with voices from the 1970s.
-
Aino sees nurses in outdated uniforms watching her silently.
Veikko tries to downplay it, but Aino insists something is wrong.
Act II – Discovery
Aino uncovers old patient files stained with water and age. They describe cruel “experimental treatments” conducted by Dr. Rehn.
Aino begins encountering full apparitions—pale patients crying, nurses repeating warnings, and finally the doctor himself: calm, intelligent, emotionless.
Rehn claims he is “waiting for the second death,” which he insists must be “earned through work.” He still performs “rounds,” escorting ghost patients back to their beds, eternally restaging their last painful moments.
Aino realizes the nurses are trying to protect her. They cannot speak, but they guide her to hidden records and objects connected to their trauma.
Act III – The Haunting Intensifies
-
Aino becomes trapped in time loops within the building.
-
The power fails. Hallways shift.
-
The patients beg Aino to help them die properly.
-
Rehn attempts to recruit her, saying:
“When the body ends, the work continues. You understand that, nurse.”
The demolition date arrives.
Act IV – Demolition & Judgment
As machines tear into the building, the structure groans like a living thing.
Ghosts are forced into confrontation.
The moment the first wall collapses:
-
Nurse spirits brighten, their chains breaking.
-
Patient ghosts rise like mist toward light outside the building.
Rehn, however, begins to burn from the inside, cracks of fire appearing in his form. He screams not in fear, but in fury—because he finally understands his second death is punishment.
As the final blow hits the foundation, all ghosts disappear.
Aino watches as:
-
A column of soft light ascends—nurses and patients.
-
A jagged streak of flame descends—Rehn falling into darkness.
Ending
Aino returns the next day to find the entire lot silent, peaceful.
In the rubble, she finds a single nurse’s cap gently resting atop concrete dust.
She takes it home, but when she turns away…
it vanishes.
Fade out.
SCREENPLAY SAMPLE (OPENING SCENE)
Format approximates standard screenplay style.
FADE IN:
EXT. SODANKYLÄ OLD HEALTH CENTER – DAWN
A bleak northern sunrise. The building stands alone under the pale Finnish sky, windows dark, frost creeping across the glass. An excavator sleeps nearby—demolition scheduled for tomorrow.
INT. HEALTH CENTER LOBBY – SAME
Lights flicker on though no one touches the switch.
A gurney glides across the floor on its own, wheels squeaking.
A shadow—tall and human—crosses the opposite hallway.
EXT. PARKING LOT – MORNING
An old Volvo pulls in. AINO KORHONEN, tired but determined, steps out carrying a thermos and a folder.
AINO
(quietly, to herself)
Let’s get this over with.
She walks toward the entrance.
The automatic doors open a full second before she reaches them.
INT. OLD NURSES’ STATION – LATER
Aino organizes scattered files. Dust dances in shafts of weak winter light.
She hears a faint pager beep—a sound not used in decades.
AINO
Veikko? You here?
A cold breeze brushes past her.
She turns—
A NURSE GHOST stands silently in a corner, uniform from the 1960s, eyes full of warning.
Aino freezes.
The ghost raises one trembling finger and points down the hall.
Then vanishes.
SCENE: FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH DR. REHN
INT. EXAM ROOM 3 – NIGHT
Aino enters cautiously.
A figure sits at the exam table—tall, rigid, wearing a doctor’s coat stained with age.
DR. KLAUS REHN
Nurse Korhonen. You’re late for rounds.
Aino gasps.
AINO
You’re— You’re dead. You died thirty years ago.
Rehn smiles thinly.
DR. REHN
Death ends the body. Not the work.
He stands, movements smooth but unnatural.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
I have been waiting for my second death. It has been… delayed.
He steps closer.
Aino backs away.
AINO
What do you want?
Rehn’s eyes flicker with cold fascination.
DR. REHN
To finish what I started.
The lights snap off—pitch black.
SCENE: DEMOLITION DAY – FINAL CONFRONTATION
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – DAY
Machines roar to life.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – SAME
Walls shudder. Ghostly screams echo through the halls.
Aino shields herself as the roof cracks.
Patient ghosts rise like pale vapors.
Nurse ghosts glow with soft radiance.
Dr. Rehn appears, shaking with rage as flames crack through his form.
DR. REHN
NO. NOT YET. I AM NOT FINISHED.
A final crash tears the building down.
A column of light shoots upward—nurses and patients freed.
A column of fire pulls Rehn downward, shrinking his scream into silence.
FADE OUT.
THE END
SECOND DEATH
Feature Screenplay
Written by Kalifornia Jani - Jani Apukka
Genre: Supernatural Horror / Drama
Setting: Sodankylä, Finland
FADE IN:
EXT. SODANKYLÄ – WINTER DAWN
A pale Arctic sun struggles above the horizon. Snow dust drifts across the quiet street.
A rusted sign reads:
SODANKYLÄ HEALTH CENTER — CLOSED FOR DEMOLITION
Silence. The kind that feels watched.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – MAIN LOBBY – DAWN
Dust floats in shafts of cold light. The building groans.
A GURNEY suddenly rolls across the floor on its own.
A faint PAGING SOUND echoes — a 1970s electronic chirp.
Lights flicker on.
Then off.
Then on again.
TITLE CARD: SECOND DEATH
ACT I
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – PARKING LOT – MORNING
A battered VOLVO pulls in.
AINO KORHONEN, 34, thoughtful and weary, steps out with a thermos and a thick folder labeled:
CLOSURE OPERATIONS — STAFFING SCHEDULE
She shivers.
AINO
(to herself)
One week. Just one week.
She approaches the doors. They slide open too early — as if greeting her.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – MAIN LOBBY – MORNING
AINO enters, footsteps echoing. She looks around, cautious.
VEIKKO MÄNTY, 62, caretaker, sturdy and warm, appears behind her.
VEIKKO
You’re the volunteer nurse? From Rovaniemi?
AINO
Yes. Aino Korhonen. They said you needed help shutting the place down?
VEIKKO
(smiles, tired)
More like moral support. This building… doesn’t like being empty.
Aino forces a laugh.
A faint SHADOW glides across the far hallway.
She notices.
AINO
…did you see—
VEIKKO
No. And neither did you.
He walks away. Aino stands alone, unsettled.
INT. NURSES’ STATION – LATER
Stacks of dusty files. Old equipment.
Aino sorts through papers.
Her old PAGER suddenly BEEPS — but it’s not hers.
The display shows: ROOM 14 – CODE 9
AINO
(to Veikko, distant)
Is someone else here?
No answer.
A COLD BREEZE brushes past.
Aino turns — and freezes.
In the corner stands a NURSE GHOST.
1960s uniform. Pale. Eyes filled with sadness.
The ghost raises one shaking finger and points down the hallway.
Then disappears.
Aino gasps, backing into a desk.
INT. HALLWAY – MINUTES LATER
Aino walks slowly, following where the ghost pointed.
The hall lights flicker in sequence, guiding her.
She reaches ROOM 14.
The door opens by itself.
INT. ROOM 14 – CONTINUOUS
An old exam room. Unused for years.
Aino steps in.
A FILE lies on the floor, as if placed deliberately.
She picks it up.
The name reads:
REHN, KLAUS — LEAD PHYSICIAN — 1973–1992
Her eyes widen.
Inside are disturbing notes:
-
“Second-phase sedation unsuccessful.”
-
“Patient expired before data collection complete.”
-
“Pain response remained… informative.”
Aino shuts the file, horrified.
A SOFT FOOTSTEP sounds behind her.
She turns.
A MAN stands there.
Tall. Pale. Impossibly still.
A DOCTOR’S COAT hangs from him, immaculate but yellowed with age.
This is DR. KLAUS REHN, dead for decades.
DR. REHN
Nurse Korhonen. You’re early for orientation.
Aino stumbles back.
AINO
You—you're dead.
DR. REHN
Death is merely an administrative inconvenience.
He smiles with dead calm.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
I’ve been waiting for you.
ACT II
INT. STAFF ROOM – AFTERNOON
Aino sits, shaken. Veikko enters.
VEIKKO
You look like you’ve seen—
AINO
Don’t say it. Just—tell me. Who is Dr. Klaus Rehn?
Veikko tenses.
VEIKKO
(sighs)
A man who should’ve died twice.
Aino waits.
VEIKKO (CONT’D)
First death: heart failure, 1992.
Second death… well. That one never came.
Aino processes.
AINO
He experimented on people, didn’t he?
Veikko nods, ashamed.
VEIKKO
Patients vanished. Nurses quit mid-shift. Some… didn’t leave at all.
Aino looks toward the hallway. A dark shape slips by.
AINO
They’re still here.
VEIKKO
Yes. And they’re waiting too.
INT. LOWER WING – NIGHT
Aino walks among flickering lights.
Hospital beds creak with no one in them.
Whispers float:
PATIENT GHOST (O.S.)
Help… please… let us rest…
Aino’s breath catches.
Several PATIENT GHOSTS appear — translucent, trembling.
AINO
I want to help you. Tell me how.
But they vanish suddenly, sucked away by a force down the hall.
A tall shadow turns the corner.
Its silhouette precise. Upright.
A DOCTOR.
INT. TREATMENT HALL – MOMENTS LATER
DR. REHN stands at a metal table, arranging spectral tools.
DR. REHN
You have compassion. That is… inconvenient.
AINO
What do you want from these people?
DR. REHN
Perfection.
AINO
You tortured them.
DR. REHN
I studied them. There is a difference.
His eyes flash with something inhuman.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
You could take their place, you know. The living transition beautifully.
Aino steps back.
AINO
You’re not a doctor. You’re a monster.
DR. REHN
(smiles gently)
Every profession has its specialists.
Lights explode overhead. Darkness floods the hall.
ACT III
INT. HEALTH CENTER – SERIES OF SCENES – NIGHT
— Aino trapped in time loops, reliving patients' final moments
— Ghost nurses guiding her to hidden records
— Hallways rearranging themselves
— Dr. Rehn whispering directly into her mind:
“When the body ends, the work continues.”
Aino reaches a breaking point.
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – MORNING
DEMOLITION CREWS set up machines.
SUPERVISOR
We knock it down tomorrow at 7 a.m.
Aino watches nervously.
AINO
(to herself)
Is that what they’re waiting for?
INT. BASEMENT ARCHIVES – NIGHT
Aino finds old death certificates — all signed by Dr. Rehn.
Some belong to the NURSE GHOSTS she saw.
One file labeled simply: EXPERIMENT 101 — TERMINATED
AINO
(softly)
I’m sorry. All of you.
Suddenly, the ghosts appear around her — nurses and patients.
They form a circle, looking to her like she’s their last hope.
LIGHT begins to glow around them.
Aino touches the nearest patient.
Their pain softens.
A RUMBLE shakes the building — demolition preparing.
Dr. Rehn appears at the far end of the room.
DR. REHN
You cannot save them. They belong to me.
AINO
No one belongs to you.
DR. REHN
They chose me. They came to me. They obeyed me.
AINO
They were terrified of you.
DR. REHN
(smiling)
Same thing.
ACT IV — DEMOLITION DAY
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – DAWN
Engines rumble. Snow falls lightly.
SUPERVISOR
Alright! Bring it down!
INT. HEALTH CENTER – CONTINUOUS
The walls TREMBLE.
Ghosts scream — some in fear, some in hope.
DR. REHN howls as flames crack through his body, glowing like fissures.
DR. REHN
NO! NOT YET! I AM NOT FINISHED!
The ceiling collapses.
A BLINDING LIGHT rises from the nurse and patient ghosts — soft, warm, ascending.
Aino shields her face.
Up above:
The spirits rise into a column of light, freed.
But Rehn —
A jagged streak of FLAME opens beneath him.
He is pulled downward, screaming with fury and denial.
DR. REHN
I WASN’T DONE—!
He falls into darkness.
The ground SLAMS.
Everything goes silent.
EXT. DEMOLITION SITE – NEXT DAY
The health center is rubble. Peaceful.
Aino walks alone across the gravel.
Something white catches her eye — dust-covered but intact.
A NURSE’S CAP, clean, sitting atop the debris as if gently placed.
Aino kneels, touches it.
AINO
You’re free now.
She stands, turns to leave.
When she looks back—
The cap is gone.
FADE OUT.
THE END
SECOND DEATH
Feature Screenplay (110-page professional version)
PART 1 — ACT I (Pages 1–23)
FADE IN:
EXT. ARCTIC SKY – PRE-DAWN
A dim, blue-tinted horizon over northern Finland. Snow drifts in lazy spirals. The light is thin, exhausted.
Silence dominates the landscape.
Distantly—a single building’s silhouette.
EXT. SODANKYLÄ HEALTH CENTER – CONTINUOUS
An aging, rectangular 1970s concrete health center. Windows frostbitten. Sign cracked:
SODANKYLÄ TERVEYSKESKUS — CLOSED. DEMOLITION SCHEDULED.
Construction tape flaps lifelessly.
For a moment nothing moves.
Then—
A third-floor light turns on.
Flickers.
Goes out.
INT. HEALTH CENTER — MAIN LOBBY – MORNING
Dust floats like frozen pollen. A wheelchair sits abandoned.
A poster on the wall: SEASONAL FLU AWARENESS – 1989.
Suddenly—
A GURNEY rolls by itself across the floor.
A distant HINGE CREAKS.
ELEVATOR DOORS open for no one.
Then:
A 1970s PAGER BEEPS from somewhere unseen. Harsh. Electronic.
CUT TO BLACK.
TITLE CARD: SECOND DEATH
EXT. HEALTH CENTER — PARKING LOT – MORNING (LATER)
A battered dark-green Volvo slows to a stop. Exhaust curls in the cold air.
AINO KORHONEN (34), practical, worn around the eyes, steps out. Carries a thermos, a messenger bag, and a thick binder labeled:
“CLOSURE OPERATIONS – FINAL WEEK.”
She surveys the sad-looking building.
AINO
(mutters)
Looks like you died years ago.
She approaches the main doors.
They slide open before she reaches them.
Way too early.
She stops.
Exhales visible breath.
Enters anyway.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – MAIN LOBBY
Aino steps inside.
Footsteps ECHO, strangely delayed.
She turns—too late—VEIKKO MÄNTY (62), stoic, caretaker, stands behind her.
AINO
(startled)
Oh! You must be Veikko.
VEIKKO
(smiles gently)
Afraid so. You Aino?
She nods.
VEIKKO (CONT’D)
Welcome to the last week of this place’s existence.
AINO
Looks like it's already halfway gone.
Veikko chuckles without humor.
VEIKKO
You have no idea.
A faint SHADOW glides across the hallway behind them.
Aino notices. Veikko pretends not to.
AINO
Was that—?
VEIKKO
(interrupts quickly)
Probably a draft.
Aino frowns.
No draft casts a human-shaped shadow.
INT. NURSES’ STATION – LATER
Aino pulls a rusted metal chair over and sets the binder down.
Stacks of dusty files clutter the counter.
A yellowed calendar reads: FEBRUARY 1991.
She starts sorting.
Then—
A BRIEF, FAMILIAR ELECTRONIC BEEP.
She freezes.
AINO
(to herself)
No way…
Her modern phone is silent. The beep was sharper. Older.
Another BEEP.
She follows the sound into the back corner.
A cracked, ancient PAGER lies on a shelf.
Its display lights up on its own:
ROOM 14 — CODE 9
AINO
Veikko? Are you calling me?
Silence.
A cold breeze brushes past her hair.
She turns sharply—
AND SEES—
A NURSE.
But not alive.
A NURSE GHOST, mid-60s uniform, posture rigid, face sorrowful, translucently pale.
She lifts one trembling hand—
And points.
Down the hall.
Aino stands frozen.
The nurse’s chin quivers, as if begging.
Then—
She VANISHES.
Aino staggers backward.
AINO
(whispers)
What…?
INT. HALLWAY – MOMENTS LATER
The fluorescent lights flicker sequentially down the corridor, guiding her step by step.
AINO walks slowly.
Heartbeat audible.
She stops at ROOM 14.
The door is slightly ajar.
She exhales and pushes it open.
INT. ROOM 14 – CONTINUOUS
An exam room abandoned for decades. Rust. Cracked tiles. Broken cabinets.
A single FILE lies on the center of the bed.
Placed deliberately.
Aino approaches and reads the name:
REHN, KLAUS — LEAD PHYSICIAN
1973–1992
She flips it open.
Disturbing notes written in tidy, old-fashioned handwriting:
“Pain thresholds exceeding expectation.”
“Subject ceased vital signs prematurely.”
“Data incomplete; must repeat with next candidate.”
Her breath shakes.
AINO
What the hell…?
FOOTSTEPS behind her.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Aino turns—
A SHADOW fills the doorway.
Growing.
Taking form.
A tall man steps forward, wearing a pristine white doctor’s coat—
But with a sickly yellow hue from age.
His face is pale, elegant, unnervingly calm.
DR. KLAUS REHN, dead for 30 years.
DR. REHN
Nurse Korhonen.
(pleasant, eerie)
You’re early for orientation.
Aino steps back, horrified.
AINO
You… you’re—
DR. REHN
(smiles thinly)
Dead?
Yes. Unfortunately administrative paperwork is slow.
He walks toward her. His shoes make no sound.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
I’ve been expecting you.
CUT TO:
INT. STAFF ROOM – AFTERNOON
Aino sits trembling on an old sofa.
Veikko enters with a steaming mug.
VEIKKO
He showed himself, didn’t he?
Aino looks up sharply.
AINO
(slowly)
Why didn’t you warn me?
Veikko sits carefully across.
VEIKKO
Would you have believed me?
AINO
(quiet)
I… don’t know.
Veikko takes a steadying breath.
VEIKKO
Klaus Rehn was… brilliant.
Then he was dangerous.
And then he was something worse.
AINO
What did he do?
Veikko hesitates.
AINO (CONT’D)
Tell me.
VEIKKO
He didn’t believe in natural boundaries.
Pain, fear, death… they were just numbers to him.
When he died—
(glances around)
—he didn't leave.
Aino pales.
AINO
So the nurses? The patients…?
VEIKKO
Some left.
Most didn’t get the chance.
A tense beat.
AINO
Why are they still trapped here?
Veikko looks away.
VEIKKO
They’re waiting for the building to die.
Aino frowns.
AINO
Buildings can’t die.
VEIKKO
This one can.
INT. LOWER WING – EVENING
Aino enters a dark hallway lit by flickering emergency bulbs.
She hears faint WHIMPERS.
She follows them.
Inside a patient room, standing in a group, are THREE PATIENT GHOSTS.
Shaking.
Translucent.
Terrified.
PATIENT GHOST #1
(whispers)
Don’t let him take us…
PATIENT GHOST #2
He’s coming… he’s coming…
Aino reaches out.
AINO
I can help you.
Suddenly—
A SHADOW sweeps over them.
The ghosts SHRIEK and are violently dragged away by an invisible force, disappearing into the darkness down the hall.
Aino gasps.
A figure steps into view.
Tall. Calm. Horrifying.
DR. REHN.
DR. REHN
Nurse Korhonen.
You mustn’t interrupt treatment.
Aino backs away.
AINO
What are you doing to them?
DR. REHN
Maintaining continuity.
Even death requires routine.
He tilts his head, studying her like a specimen.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
You have compassion. That makes you…
(soft smile)
…malleable.
Aino’s breath shakes.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
You would make an excellent assistant.
Lights explode overhead—SHOWERING SPARKS.
The hall plunges into darkness.
CUT TO BLACK.
END OF PART 1 (Pages 1–23)
SECOND DEATH
ACT I — PART 2
FADE IN:
INT. HEALTH CENTER – STAFF ROOM – NIGHT
Aino Korhonen (Aino Korhonen) sits alone, staring at a flickering overhead light.
The building CREAKS like an old ship.
A DOOR SLAMS somewhere deep in the corridors.
Aino grips her thermos.
AINO
(soft, rattled)
Get a grip, Aino…
She stands, steadying herself.
INT. MAIN HALLWAY – NIGHT
Dim emergency lights cast long shadows.
The building HUMS with low, unnatural vibration.
Aino walks slowly, listening.
A faint HUMMING…
A melody. Old. Finnish. A lullaby.
She follows it.
INT. NURSES’ STATION – CONTINUOUS
The humming grows louder.
Aino turns the corner—
A NURSE GHOST sits at a desk, writing invisible notes.
Uniform from the late ’50s.
Her hand moves methodically, endlessly.
AINO
Carefully
Hello?
The nurse stops writing.
Slowly turns her head.
Her face is kind—
—but exhausted with decades of spiritual labor.
She lifts a trembling hand.
Points toward the OLD ELEVATOR.
AINO
You want me to go up?
The ghost NODS.
Then fades into nothing.
Aino takes a breath.
INT. MAIN ELEVATOR – MOMENTS LATER
Aino enters the dimly lit elevator.
Buttons flicker.
Only 3RD FLOOR glows steadily.
She presses it.
The elevator JERKS violently—
Then begins rising.
Lights flicker.
Static BUZZ fills the confined space.
HALFWAY UP—
A voice whispers right behind her ear:
DR. REHN (O.S.)
(soft, calm)
You don’t belong up here.
Aino gasps—
But no one’s there.
INT. THIRD FLOOR – ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN
DING.
The doors slide open into…
Darkness.
Pure, pitch-black.
Aino hesitates.
Then steps out.
INT. THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
The floors here are cleaner.
Walls intact.
Lights faint but steady.
It looks… preserved.
AINO
(whispers)
This floor shouldn’t even have power.
She walks.
Each step ECHOES.
INT. OLD SURGERY THEATER – CONTINUOUS
Aino enters a wide room with tiered observation seating circling an operating table.
On the table lies…
NOTHING.
Just a clean white sheet.
This room looks recently used.
Impossible.
AINO
Veikko… what the hell were you keeping from me?
Something shifts above.
Aino looks up.
A lone OBSERVER FIGURE sits in the top row—
Motionless.
Silhouette only.
Aino can’t breathe.
AINO
Hello?
The figure TWITCHES—then disappears.
Aino stumbles backward.
Behind her—
A metallic CLINK.
She spins—
SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS lay arranged neatly on a tray.
Though she swears the tray was empty seconds ago.
She picks up a scalpel.
AINO
(whispers)
This is warm…
Behind her—
FOOTSTEPS.
Slow.
Measured.
She turns—
Dr. Klaus Rehn (Dr. Klaus Rehn) stands at the opposite side of the operating table.
DR. REHN
You’ve wandered into restricted territory.
Aino swallows.
AINO
Why is this floor… intact?
DR. REHN
Because this is where the work continues.
(slight tilt)
Time respects purpose, Nurse Korhonen.
He steps closer.
AINO
What work?
DR. REHN
The same work I began in life.
Only now without the burden of mortality.
Aino shakes her head.
AINO
You hurt them. You scared them. You tortured—
DR. REHN
(interrupts sharply)
I studied them.
A deep rumble rolls through the building.
Dust falls from the ceiling.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
Demolition approaches.
My second death draws near.
I must finish before then.
AINO
Your second… death?
Dr. Rehn smiles with eerie serenity.
DR. REHN
Every soul dies twice.
First when the body ends.
Second when purpose ends.
(pauses)
I refuse to end.
Aino backs toward the door.
AINO
You’re insane.
DR. REHN
(sadly)
No. Merely unfinished.
Aino runs—
INT. THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
Aino SPRINTS down the hall.
Lights explode one by one behind her as she runs.
The building SHRIEKS, as though alive and in pain.
She reaches the elevator—
The DOORS SLAM SHUT before she can reach them.
AINO
No no no—!
She runs for the stairwell.
INT. STAIRWELL – CONTINUOUS
She bursts through—
And stops dead.
The stairs…
Are GONE.
The stairwell is an endless vertical drop of darkness.
A deep, cold WIND rises from below.
Shadows WRITHE on the walls.
AINO
(shuddering)
You have to be kidding—
A HAND grabs her shoulder—
She SCREAMS—
But it’s VEIKKO MÄNTY (Veikko Mänty).
VEIKKO
Aino! It’s me!
Aino collapses into him.
AINO
He's up here—
Rehn—
This floor isn’t—
VEIKKO
(holding her)
I know.
That stops her cold.
AINO
You… knew?
Veikko nods, shameful.
VEIKKO
This was his kingdom.
Even after death.
Another massive RUMBLE shakes the building.
Veikko tightens his grip.
VEIKKO (CONT’D)
We need to get you out of this floor.
Now.
AINO
What about the ghosts?
The nurses? The patients?
Veikko swallows hard.
VEIKKO
They’re waiting for demolition day.
It’s the only way any of them can move on.
Aino stares at him.
AINO
And Rehn?
Veikko looks away.
VEIKKO
Rehn… is waiting for something far worse.
INT. FIRST FLOOR – NIGHT (LATER)
Aino and Veikko sit in silence.
The building GROANS again—longer, deeper.
AINO
Tomorrow?
VEIKKO
Tomorrow morning.
Once the machines hit the foundation—
The dead will be forced to go somewhere.
AINO
Where?
Veikko looks at her with a bleak face.
VEIKKO
Where they belong.
Aino shivers.
AINO
I’m not leaving them here alone tonight.
Veikko sighs, resigned.
VEIKKO
Then you’d better stay close.
There are places in this building even I don’t go after dark.
Aino nods slowly.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – HALLWAY – LATER
Aino walks alone again—this time with purpose.
Lights dim around her.
Several NURSE GHOSTS appear behind her.
Silent. Watching. Following like guardians.
Aino senses them.
AINO
(softly)
I’ll help you. All of you.
I promise.
For the first time—
A NURSE GHOST gives a faint nod.
A pulse of warm light flickers through the hall.
Then—
All of them vanish.
Thunderous rumble from above.
Demolition preparation.
Aino steels herself.
AINO
(whispers)
Tomorrow it ends.
For all of us.
END OF PART 2 (Pages ~24–45)
SECOND DEATH
ACT II — PART 3
FADE IN:
INT. HEALTH CENTER – BASEMENT STAIRWELL – PRE-DAWN
Pipes rattle overhead. The temperature drops sharply.
Aino Korhonen (already referenced) descends the narrow metal stairs, flashlight trembling in her hand.
A faint RINGING echoes from the dark.
Veikko Mänty (already referenced) follows behind her, gripping a wrench like a talisman.
AINO
You said the basement is where they kept the old records?
VEIKKO
Yes. And other things Rehn didn’t want people to find.
Aino pauses on the last step.
AINO
Like what?
Veikko gives no answer.
INT. BASEMENT ARCHIVES – CONTINUOUS
Rows of metal shelves. Dust. Paper decay.
Old patient files spill from cabinets. Some lie open on the floor, as if clawed at.
Aino kneels to pick up a file.
The name reads:
HELENA SAVILAHTI — NURSE — DECEASED 1963
Aino turns the page—
It’s stamped repeatedly:
EXPERIMENT 7
NON-COMPLIANT.
AINO
(soft)
These were the nurses…
VEIKKO
Rehn believed loyalty wasn’t enough.
He wanted obedience.
AINO
And when he didn’t get it?
Veikko stays silent. But his silence is answer enough.
Aino flips to the back page—handwritten notes:
“Resistance unacceptable.”
“Transferred to experimental ward.”
“Result: termination.”
Aino’s hand shakes.
AINO
He killed them.
VEIKKO
(shameful)
Some of us suspected.
But no one… wanted to be his next subject.
Aino closes the file, a heavy grief in her eyes.
INT. BASEMENT HALLWAY – MOMENTS LATER
A long corridor lit by flickering bulbs.
Aino and Veikko walk cautiously.
Suddenly—
WHISPERS rise from the walls.
Like dozens of overlapping voices.
AINO
Do you hear that?
Veikko nods grimly.
They turn a corner—
And stop dead.
A group of PATIENT GHOSTS stand in the hall, blocking the path.
Terrified. Transparent. Frozen mid-breath.
One ghost—a young boy—reaches toward Aino.
PATIENT GHOST (BOY)
(weak)
Help… us…
Aino steps closer—
But the ghosts are suddenly RIPPED backward down the hall by an invisible force, vanishing in darkness.
AINO
(shouting)
STOP!
The darkness pulses.
A SHADOW rises like a tall tidal wave—
Forming into Dr. Klaus Rehn (already referenced).
DR. REHN
(calming)
It’s nearly time.
Aino holds her ground.
AINO
Time for what?
DR. REHN
For closure.
For judgment.
For the second death.
Veikko moves in front of Aino protectively.
VEIKKO
You don’t get to decide that.
Dr. Rehn smiles faintly.
DR. REHN
I already have.
INT. BASEMENT – RECORD ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Aino rushes inside and slams the heavy door shut.
Veikko braces it with his body.
Aino grabs her flashlight and sweeps the room.
Twelve metal drawers line the walls.
AINO
These are the old death records?
VEIKKO
Yes. Everything before the new system came in.
Rehn controlled all of it.
Aino pulls open a drawer.
Inside are DEATH CERTIFICATES.
Hundreds.
Every single one is signed:
DR. KLAUS REHN, M.D.
AINO
(whispers)
He documented all of them…
She flips through names—some familiar from the ghosts she’s seen.
AINO (CONT’D)
These people never moved on.
They’ve been stuck here… waiting.
Suddenly—
The fluorescent lights BUZZ.
Then go out.
Total blackness.
Aino clicks her flashlight—
Dr. Rehn stands inches from her face.
AINO
(startled scream)
DR. REHN
(soft, cold)
Do you see my life’s work now?
He gestures, and in the flashlight beam—
The death certificates flutter upward like a swarm of moths.
They circle Aino.
TELEPHONE RINGS loudly from an old rotary phone.
Aino grabs the receiver instinctively.
A VOICE whispers on the other end:
PATIENT VOICE
(over phone)
Let us go…
Static.
Screams.
Cut off.
Aino drops the phone.
AINO
What do you want from me!?
DR. REHN
My work must continue.
I need a living conduit.
A nurse.
You.
Aino shakes her head violently.
AINO
NO.
DR. REHN
You will assist me.
AINO
I’ll NEVER help you.
Dr. Rehn leans down, inches from her face.
DR. REHN
You already are.
Suddenly—
The room EXPLODES in blinding white light—
And everything disappears.
INT. FIRST FLOOR – LOBBY – DAYBREAK
Aino lies on the floor.
Dazed.
Breathing hard.
Veikko kneels beside her.
VEIKKO
Aino! Hey! Look at me!
AINO
(confused)
How did we… get upstairs?
VEIKKO
Rehn must’ve sent us out.
He can move the building’s memories.
Shift space.
Aino sits up, pale.
AINO
We have to free them, Veikko.
All of them.
Veikko hesitates.
VEIKKO
There’s only one way.
Aino looks directly at him.
AINO
Demolition.
Veikko nods.
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – MORNING
Outside, massive machinery waits behind caution tape.
A foreman—a large man in a neon jacket—checks a clipboard.
FOREMAN
Demolition starts at 0700 sharp.
Aino approaches him.
AINO
You have to take this place down today.
FOREMAN
(confused)
That’s the plan.
AINO
No delays. No rescheduling.
Whatever happens inside—just keep going.
The foreman frowns.
FOREMAN
Is everything alright, miss?
AINO
Not for a long time.
He doesn’t understand, but nods.
AINO turns back toward the building.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – HALLWAY – LATER
Aino walks alone.
Something has changed.
The lights DON’T flicker.
The air is still.
Then—
One by one, GHOST NURSES appear behind her.
Ten. Twelve. More.
They stand in silent formation.
Aino turns to face them.
AINO
You’re free tomorrow.
I promise.
A warm breeze—
Impossible indoors—
passes through the hall.
A nurse ghost reaches toward Aino’s cheek—
Not touching, but near.
A thank you.
Aino smiles sadly.
INT. SURGERY THEATER – DAY
Aino enters slowly.
The operating table remains spotless.
Tools neatly arranged.
The room feels expectant.
AINO
Alright, Rehn.
If you want to finish this—
Come out.
Silence.
Then—
Dr. Rehn steps from behind the curtain.
DR. REHN
You’re becoming bold.
AINO
You’re losing control.
DR. REHN
(smiles)
No.
I’m becoming inevitable.
Aino stands firm.
AINO
The building dies tomorrow.
And when it goes—
You go with it.
Dr. Rehn’s expression darkens.
DR. REHN
You presume judgment.
But do you know what waits for me?
For them?
For you?
Aino nods, unwavering.
AINO
For them—peace.
For you—hell.
Dr. Rehn’s eyes flare with fire.
DR. REHN
We will see.
The room SHUDDERS.
Everything rattles violently.
Dust FALLS.
Dr. Rehn turns slowly toward Aino—
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
Tomorrow, nurse.
We discover who deserves release.
And who deserves flame.
He dissolves into black smoke and vanishes.
Aino exhales, shaking.
She looks around.
AINO
(whispers)
Tomorrow…
This ends.
END OF PART 3 (Pages ~46–70)
SECOND DEATH
ACT II — PART 4
FADE IN:
EXT. SODANKYLÄ – NIGHT
A moonless Arctic night.
The health center sits like a tomb waiting to be opened.
Wind HOWLS through broken vents.
Crows circle above the frozen roof.
Something is coming.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – MAIN LOBBY – NIGHT
Emergency lighting glows sickly yellow.
Aino Korhonen stands in the lobby alone, staring out the glass doors toward the demolition equipment resting in the dark.
Veikko Mänty enters behind her, carrying a thermos.
VEIKKO
Couldn’t sleep either?
AINO
I don’t think this place lets anyone sleep.
He hands her the thermos.
VEIKKO
Drink. Long day ahead.
Aino accepts it gratefully.
AINO
Veikko…
(beat)
Were there ever signs? Back then?
When Rehn was alive?
Veikko exhales heavily.
VEIKKO
Too many.
None we wanted to see.
AINO
You feel responsible.
Veikko doesn’t deny it.
VEIKKO
I was younger.
Afraid.
We all were.
And fear makes cowards of decent men.
Aino places a hand on his.
AINO
You’re not a coward now.
A long, tired smile.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – SECOND FLOOR – LATER
Aino walks the corridors alone, holding a lantern.
Lights BUZZ overhead.
Suddenly—
A faint, rhythmic TAP… TAP… TAP.
AINO
Hello?
The tapping grows louder—
Turning into a frantic knocking.
Aino approaches ROOM 207.
The door rattles violently.
AINO
(soft)
It’s okay… I’m here…
She opens it—
INT. ROOM 207 – CONTINUOUS
Empty.
Completely empty.
But on the wall, written in faint frost:
SET US FREE.
AINO
(swallows)
I’m trying…
A DOOR CREAKS behind her.
She whirls around—nothing.
A GURNEY wheels past the doorway, pushed by no one.
Aino follows it.
INT. LOWER TREATMENT HALL – MOMENTS LATER
The gurney stops on its own.
Aino steps into the room—and freezes.
Half a dozen PATIENT GHOSTS stand in rows, like lost soldiers.
One ghost, an old woman, steps forward.
PATIENT GHOST (OLD WOMAN)
(weak)
He made us lie down…
And we never got back up…
Aino’s eyes fill with tears.
AINO
I’m so sorry.
PATIENT GHOST (OLD WOMAN)
Set… us… free…
Behind them—
Darkness swells like a rising tide.
AINO
GET OUT OF HERE!
The ghosts scatter, dissolving.
The darkness takes shape—
Forming into Dr. Klaus Rehn.
DR. REHN
Don’t interfere.
AINO
They’re terrified of you!
DR. REHN
They are incomplete.
I am completing them.
AINO
You’re twisting them into your experiments!
Rehn steps closer.
DR. REHN
I refined them.
I purified them.
Death is not an end—it's a filter.
AINO
You can’t justify this. Not anymore.
DR. REHN
(soft, chilling)
You mistake justification for permission.
I need neither.
Aino backs away.
AINO
Tomorrow, everything ends for you.
DR. REHN
(smiling faintly)
Tomorrow, everything ends for everyone.
He dissolves into a cloud of black ash.
The hall falls silent.
INT. STAFF ROOM – SHORT TIME LATER
Veikko waits inside, holding an old blueprint of the building.
AINO
What’s that?
VEIKKO
Structural plans.
This place was built wrong.
Rehn insisted on sealed rooms, hidden passages, reinforced floors—
Things no normal clinic needs.
AINO
He built himself a fortress.
VEIKKO
Yes.
And ghosts can’t leave fortresses without something… breaking.
He traces the blueprint.
VEIKKO (CONT’D)
The foundation runs right under Rehn’s old wing.
When the excavators hit it—
Every spirit tied here will be forced out.
AINO
Forced where?
Veikko hesitates.
VEIKKO
Where the universe assigns them.
Light, or flame.
Aino nods grimly.
AINO
Then we protect the innocent.
The nurses and patients.
VEIKKO
And Rehn?
AINO
(whispers)
We don’t protect Rehn.
INT. SURGERY THEATER – VERY LATE NIGHT
The operating room sits silent, perfectly arranged, almost reverent.
Aino steps inside slowly.
AINO
Show yourself.
Silence.
AINO (CONT’D)
You always appear when you want something.
So what do you want tonight?
A long pause.
Then—
DR. REHN
(from behind)
A second chance.
Aino spins.
Rehn stands at the head of the operating table.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
I want to finish the work I began.
With your assistance.
AINO
Never.
DR. REHN
You are a healer.
You fix what is broken.
I do the same.
AINO
You BREAK people.
DR. REHN
(smiling)
Only to see how they mend.
Aino shudders.
DR. REHN (CONT’D)
Everything decays without purpose.
Even souls.
But if we work together—
We can transcend decay.
AINO
(angry)
You murdered them!
DR. REHN
I perfected them.
AINO
YOU DAMNED THEM!
Silence.
Rehn’s expression finally darkens.
DR. REHN
Your sentimentality is wasteful.
But admirable.
It will make your transition easier.
AINO
Transition?
DR. REHN
Tomorrow, when the building falls—
You will join us.
AINO
(shakes head)
I’m not dying here.
DR. REHN
Not dying.
Evolving.
Aino backs toward the door.
AINO
You won’t get me.
And you won’t get them.
Rehn tilts his head, eyes glowing faintly with cold fire.
DR. REHN
When the second death comes—
No one escapes judgment.
The lights blow out.
INT. MAIN HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS
Aino runs, heart pounding.
Veikko bursts from a side corridor.
VEIKKO
Aino!
AINO
We’re out of time.
He’s preparing for tomorrow.
He thinks he can take me with him.
Veikko clenches his jaw.
VEIKKO
Let him think that.
Just survive until the machines hit the foundation.
Then it won’t matter what he wants.
They stand together.
The building MOANS around them, walls vibrating.
AINO
Veikko…
If he comes for me—
VEIKKO
He will.
A beat.
VEIKKO (CONT’D)
But not tonight.
He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
AINO
Tomorrow…
Everyone gets their judgment.
Veikko nods.
VEIKKO
Tomorrow.
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – DAWN APPROACHES
A faint glow rises behind the horizon.
The last night of the building’s existence.
Inside, faint silhouettes move along the windows—
NURSES
PATIENTS
SHADOWS
Waiting.
END OF PART 4 (Pages ~71–90)
SECOND DEATH
ACT III — PART 5 (FINAL PAGES ~90–110)
FADE IN:
EXT. SODANKYLÄ HEALTH CENTER – DAWN
A freezing orange horizon creeps upward.
Snow drifts softly.
DEMOLITION MACHINES rumble to life.
Workers gather, adjusting helmets, sipping coffee.
The FOREMAN (Foreman Lehto) checks his watch.
FOREMAN LEHTO
(to crew)
Five minutes, people.
Once we start, we don’t stop.
Engines ROAR.
Inside the building—
Lights flicker violently.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – MAIN LOBBY – SAME
Aino Korhonen and Veikko Mänty stand facing the empty hallway.
Both pale.
Both ready.
AINO
This is it.
VEIKKO
One hour from now…
None of this will exist.
AINO
Except the souls that deserve release.
They exchange a solemn nod.
A distant metallic clang echoes through the building.
AINO (CONT’D)
He’s awake.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – HALLWAYS – CONTINUOUS
The building is ALIVE.
Lights pulse like a heartbeat.
Doors SLAM open and shut.
Wheelchairs roll on their own.
Whispers rush past:
NURSE GHOSTS (V.O.)
Free us…
Let it end…
Please…
Aino steadies herself.
AINO
I’m with you.
All of you.
A wave of warm energy surrounds her—
Ghost nurses lining the hall like a silent honor guard.
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – CONTINUOUS
The foreman raises his hand.
FOREMAN LEHTO
START THE CUT!
The first excavator arm SWINGS—
BOOOOOOM!
The machine STRIKES the exterior wall.
The health center SHUDDERS like a living creature.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – SIMULTANEOUS
Everything becomes VIOLENT:
Lights shatter.
Floors tremble.
Ceiling tiles explode downward.
The nurse ghosts glow BRIGHTER—
Some ascending inches from the floor, trembling with anticipation.
AINO
This is it—
You’re being pulled free!
Veikko grabs her arm—
VEIKKO
Stay close!
He’ll come for you when the walls break!
Another CRASH from outside.
A chunk of ceiling collapses.
INT. TREATMENT HALL – CONTINUOUS
A dark fog pours in like ink.
It swirls and condenses—
Forming the tall, skeletal figure of Dr. Klaus Rehn.
He is no longer human-shaped.
He is a cracked statue of flame and shadow.
DR. REHN
(voice deeper, layered)
YOU CANNOT TAKE THEM FROM ME.
Aino steps forward.
AINO
They were never yours.
Rehn’s form splits and reforms, like a glitch in reality.
DR. REHN
THEY ARE MY LEGACY.
MY PATIENTS.
MY SUBJECTS.
MY PURPOSE.
AINO
Your purpose dies today.
Rehn SCREECHES—a horrible, multilayered sound.
Shadows rush toward her—
But the ghost nurses INTERCEDE.
Forming a wall of shimmering light.
Rehn slams into them—
They hold.
Aino stares, amazed.
AINO
You’re not afraid anymore…
The nurse ghosts lean forward like angels bracing against a storm.
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – CONTINUOUS
FOREMAN LEHTO
Next strike!
Bring the south wing down!
The second excavator SMASHES into the foundation.
BOOOOOM.
The entire structure drops six inches.
Workers stumble.
INT. HEALTH CENTER – CONTINUOUS
The shockwave causes the spectral wall to flare.
Ghost patients pour from rooms—
Rising like translucent mist.
Some cry.
Some smile.
Some simply breathe for the first time in decades.
Aino turns—
AINO
Go!
Go toward the light—
YOU’RE FREE!
The patient ghosts surge upward toward cracks in the ceiling, ascending like smoke toward sky.
Rehn shrieks.
DR. REHN
NO!
THEY BELONG TO ME!
AINO
They belong to PEACE.
Rehn turns on her.
INT. MAIN HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS
Aino and Veikko run as the building collapses behind them.
Rehn’s shadow form hunts them like a storm cloud.
DR. REHN
YOU WILL JOIN MY WORK!
AINO
(over shoulder)
I choose MY fate!
She grabs Veikko—
They leap behind a collapsing nurse’s station.
The floor BUCKLES.
INT. SURGERY THEATER – FINAL CONFRONTATION
The final intact room of the building.
The operating table is still spotless.
Rehn materializes inside the center of the room—
His form now a flaming skull of smoke and bone.
DR. REHN
THE SECOND DEATH COMES FOR ALL.
The walls CRACK open—
White light pours through like a sunrise.
Some ghosts float upward into it.
Others remain, trembling.
Rehn SCREAMS as cracks of orange hellfire open across his body.
AINO
Your second death isn’t peace.
It’s punishment.
DR. REHN
(snarling)
JUDGMENT IS MINE!
AINO
Not anymore.
EXT. HEALTH CENTER – FINAL STRIKES
The foreman gives the final order.
FOREMAN LEHTO
FINISH IT!
The excavators drive INTO the building.
Structural beams snap like bones.
The health center collapses—
INT. SURGERY THEATER – SAME MOMENT
A BLINDING DETONATION OF LIGHT—
Ghost nurses and patients are blasted upward, weightless, peaceful.
Their expressions serene.
They ascend through the collapsing roof like stars being released.
Rehn screams in fury—
A gigantic RIFT OF FLAME opens beneath him, sucking him downward.
DR. REHN
I AM NOT DONE—
I AM NOT DONE—
I AM NOT—
He is ripped into the fiery void, consumed by it.
Gone.
A column of flame collapses inward with a thunderous ROAR.
EXT. DEMOLITION SITE – MORNING
The building is rubble.
Dust fills the air.
Workers observe the wreckage.
Aino and Veikko crawl out from behind a fallen beam—
Coughing, bruised, alive.
Aino stares into the sky.
SHAFTS OF GOLDEN LIGHT drift upward like shimmering snow.
They twirl, vanish.
VEIKKO
They made it.
AINO
Yeah…
They did.
The wind shifts.
Something white flutters through the air.
It lands gently on the rubble—
A pristine nurse’s cap.
The same one the ghost nurse wore on Aino’s first day.
Aino kneels, lifts it tenderly.
AINO
(soft)
Thank you.
A warm breeze passes her cheek—
A silent goodbye.
She sets the cap on a clean stone.
Turns away.
As she and Veikko walk toward the rising sun—
The cap VANISHES.
FADE OUT.
THE END
🎞️ TONES FOR MOVIE PRODUCTION
These are the guiding tonal pillars for the film’s visuals, acting, pacing, and sound design.
1. Nordic Supernatural Horror
Cold, patient, atmospheric, emotionally heavy.
Not jumpscare-driven — instead: dread, silence, emotional hauntings.
Keywords:
-
Arctic stillness
-
Isolation
-
Formal, restrained terror
-
Slow-burn supernatural escalation
2. Ritual & Judgment Themes
Everything revolves around the idea of:
❄️ ghosts waiting for release
🔥 the doctor waiting for punishment
🌫️ the living caught between the two
The tone blends spiritual melancholy with ethical horror.
3. Human Drama Beneath the Horror
The heart of the film is Aino’s compassion and Veikko’s guilt.
The story should feel like:
“A tragedy that happens to be a horror film.”
Think:
-
Heavy moral weight
-
Lingering empathy for victims
-
Quiet emotional beats between scares
4. Visual Tone
A crisp, minimalist Nordic aesthetic with supernatural contamination layered on top.
Color palette:
-
Blue-grey arctic cold
-
Sickly yellow hospital lighting
-
Ghostly pale cyan glows
-
Hellfire orange cracks (only for climax)
Camera style:
-
Long takes
-
Slow tracking shots
-
Wide lenses that show empty, haunted spaces
5. Sound & Score Tone
Sound is 50% of your horror.
Tones:
-
Humming fluorescent lights
-
Distant metallic clinks
-
Faint medical machinery
-
Old pagers beeping from decades ago
-
Low cello drones
-
Choral whispers for the nurses’ spirits
The score should begin minimalist and increasingly dissonant as the film progresses.
🎬 MARKETING STRATEGY (FULL PLAN)
Here is a film-industry grade strategy to build hype, recognition, and emotional engagement.
1. Positioning the Film
Genre Positioning:
-
Elevated Nordic supernatural horror
-
Emotional tragedy + paranormal mystery
-
"Doctor death" antagonist with strong visual identity
Audience Target:
-
Fans of Hereditary, The Ring, The Haunting of Hill House, The Ritual, Doctor Sleep
-
Horror festival attendees
-
Nordic cinema lovers
-
Fans of atmospheric supernatural/world-building horror
2. Branding Pillars
Tagline Options:
-
“Some souls wait. One refuses to leave.”
-
“Death came once. The second death is coming.”
-
“When the building falls, judgment rises.”
Logline for Posters:
A haunted Finnish health center faces demolition, releasing the trapped souls within—and the doctor who refuses to die.
Visual Branding:
-
Stark medical minimalism
-
Frozen hospital interiors
-
Ghost nurse silhouettes
-
Orange hellfire cracks for climax marketing
-
Wide, empty corridors
3. Release Strategy
Phase 1 — Festival Circuit (Prestige Build)
Target:
-
Sitges Film Festival
-
Midnight Madness at TIFF
-
Sundance Midnight Section
-
Fantastic Fest
-
Nordic Film Market
Goal: establish the film as prestige horror, not generic horror.
Phase 2 — Social Media Horror Build-up
Platforms:
-
TikTok Horror (#CreepyTok)
-
Instagram reels
-
YouTube "lore" trailers
-
Reddit r/horror AMA
-
Short-form behind-the-scenes shots
Viral Content Ideas:
-
“Real” security camera footage of rolling gurney (fake promo)
-
“Lost nurse photo” from 1960s health center
-
Time-loop hallway clip
-
Demolition impact with rising spirits as teaser finale
4. Poster Campaign
Poster Set 1: Character Portraits
-
Aino portrait — strong lighting, decay behind
-
Veikko — haunted caretaker look
-
Human Dr. Rehn — cold, calm eyes
-
Monster Rehn — flame-cracked silhouette
Poster Set 2: Location Horror
-
Surgery Theater (pristine yet wrong)
-
Basement Records Room
-
Time Loop Corridor
Poster Set 3: Climax Imagery
-
Souls rising from demolition
-
Nurse’s cap on rubble at dawn (emotional closer)
5. Trailer Strategy
Teaser Trailer (1 min):
-
Show only the hospital + ghost nurses
-
One line from Dr. Rehn:
“Death ends the body. Not the work.”
Full Trailer:
-
Build mystery, not plot
-
Focus on Aino’s emotional arc
-
End with:
Demolition begins → souls rise → Rehn screams into flame
6. Merchandising
Not tacky horror merch — moody, atmospheric items:
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Ghost nurse posters
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“Second Death” minimalist symbol (two slashes representing deaths)
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Concept art book
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Hospital ID badge replicas
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Aino’s thermos (yes, fans love these props)
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Vinyl soundtrack
7. Post-Release Engagement
After the film releases:
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BTS documentary on the ghosts’ story
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“Historical timeline” of the hospital (fictional but immersive)
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AI-generated concept art packs
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Fan-theory videos endorsed by the studio
8. Optional Extended Universe
If you want to develop sequels or series:
Series Pitch:
“The Second Death Anthology”
— Each episode features a different Nordic location where souls await their second death (church, mine, school, asylum).
Sequel Tease:
Aino receives a mysterious object that did not vanish.
Rehn's influence echoes.
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