TRIGGER WARNING: This page contains graphic imagery of blood and gore.
After suffering an injury to the head, Jayden - a young, aspiring doctor - spends an uncomfortable eternity in the limbo of a crumbling A&E. There is little to distract him from the discomfort of his plastic chair, except the lacklustre efforts of his best friend, Caleb, who challenges him to a game of Jenga. During their wait, Caleb is unexpectedly struck by threatening symptoms of his own: An itchy throat, swelling, an angry rash.
Sourcing clinical intervention proves to be no simple feat when Jayden involves the clinic’s receptionist, Melissa, and is struck by her lack of care. She refuses to facilitate his asks for help, marking Caleb as symptomatic of nothing more than a cold. As his condition worsens, time presses on, and - despite his own injury - Jayden is forced to take matters into his own hands.
He peels back the layers of the clinic, which unravel to reveal the nightmarish reality of a collapsing healthcare system, bringing Jayden face-to-face with his future.
- Jayden is a 21-year-old medical student. He approaches life with a jocular attitude, typically sarcastic and flippant, leaving him ignorant to societal issues. He represents the target audience, who have forgotten the full scope of the problem, and require a jarring reminder.
- Caleb is an analytical, hyper-independent 20-year-old. He has been Jayden’s closest friend since secondary school, where their opposing off-beat natures brought them together like magnets. Caleb represents the unforgiving, indiscriminate nature of systematic issues; You can be young and healthy, but still - at any second - fall prey to a damaged industry.
- Melissa is a 36-year-old desensitised receptionist, who is unrelentingly loyal to her job. She has become accustomed to abnormal working conditions, which have gradually fractured her mental health. She represents a hollow system that has been broken down and overstretched far beyond its capacity, and now sits at the cusp of its breaking point.
Limbo is a psychological drama that is driven by its characters and the setting they inhabit. Using long, continuous takes, we aim to capture the agonising experience of waiting for help, and the helplessness that comes with that. As the narrative unfolds, a sense of familiarity gives way to an increasingly disorienting and unsettling atmosphere, mirroring the journey of the protagonist. Although set in a surreal landscape, the story remains grounded in real-world experiences, inspired by those affected by a neglected healthcare system. With an intense, immersive approach, Limbo draws viewers into the emotional turmoil of its main characters, highlighting the disorienting nightmare faced by those who feel overlooked by the healthcare industry.
We're committed to bringing this powerful story to life, and with your support, Limbo can shine a light on a pertinent and prevalent issue, acting as a cautionary tale to the future of healthcare.
The script of Limbo narratively develops multiple emotional dimensions throughout its plot, which aid in leading the audience on a journey. We want to supplement this with the cinematography, changing the colour and brightness of the lighting as we get deeper into the story.
On the camera side, we’ll be working with different mounting and camera operating techniques to add movement and character to the image. This all is reflected in the mood board which we have compiled together. We’ll be seeking to create lighting that is inspired by the snapshots in the mood board, and adapt it to the set the production designers will deliver.
The vision for the production design of the film relies on the lived experiences of thousands of people across the UK and their exposure with the dire state of the NHS, in particular A&E. Consolidating this information to create one set build of a A&E waiting room is no easy task - as seen in our mood board, we hope to build a set that is accurate and recognisable to our audience. This includes using props you would see in a medical setting such as an ambulance stretcher or a portable blood pressure monitor, hired from professional prop stores.
As the film develops and becomes more surrealistic, we hope to decorate the space to reflect a twisted and hellish environment. One that leaves no hope.
To reflect this environment, we intend to provide many varieties of special effects makeup to help push the narrative and explore the nightmarish setting. The makeup mood board reflects the specific areas of medical gore we are looking into.
We want to include smaller injuries such as head wounds, lacerations, scratches and bruises. However, as the script evolves, we will be bringing in larger, impactful wounds such as snapped and contorted bones. We will also be using makeup to create rashes, using techniques such as airbrushing for substantial colouration of the skin, and prosthetic makeup for swollen features.
The costume design vision for Limbo aims to create a powerful visual narrative for each character. To achieve this, we will use a colour palette that complements the production design, ensuring a cohesive overall vision. The colours will reflect those found in hospitals, including whites, blues, greens, and reds. This choice ties the film's themes of eerie horror to the realism of everyday life.
We will implement costume breakdown techniques, such as fraying and aging fabric along with blood staining, to illustrate the neglect and grief inherent in the current state of the healthcare system. These techniques will enhance the portrayal of our characters.
The purpose of Limbo is not to assign blame, but to highlight a problem.
Modern research suggests that 1 in 5 young people, from as early as eight-years-old, have a probable mental disorder. 80% of patients who have to wait for mental health support suffer a mental decline, with 25% of those attempting suicide, yet waiting times for mental health services stretch as far as 251 days, and beyond.
In September 2024, 38,900 patients were waiting durations exceeding 12 hours for emergency admission for a medical crisis, which is 85 times higher than September 2019. Around 20% of total deaths (all ages) in England and Wales are considered avoidable: in 2021 there were 139,495 avoidable deaths out of 585,484 total deaths, and in 2022 there were 125,612 avoidable deaths of 576,027 total.
Accessing proper healthcare in the United Kingdom is challenging, confusing, and in too many cases, fatal. This project is aimed towards nation that has become accustomed to pain, and needs a reminder that it is not normal to suffer for eternity.
So, what is your money being used for? Well, here is a pie chart that tells you exactly that. This is a rough estimate on how the budget will be split between departments to fulfil all their creative visions, whilst still being fed! Be confident that this means we will ensure every penny given to this film will be spent wisely throughout the entire production.
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If you haven’t already please do check our various rewards on the page - we would greatly appreciate any donation you make, even if it’s just £1! Anything you can give helps us achieve our creative vision to its fullest - from building our decaying medical set, finding the best actors we can, or even just feeding a crew member!
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We are incredibly grateful for any help you can give, please do stay tuned for any further updates.
Crew Photos: Artemis Hatfield
Instagram: @artemishatfield
Graphics: Lettie Suen
Instagram: @lettie_suen
Concept Art: Matthias Robins
Instagram: @mattyr.film