"The Walking Wounded" Feature Length TV Pilot

As two senior detectives unravel two murders, they are confronted with a child prostitution racket with ties to the political and religious elite.  

Outline: The Walking Wounded is a gripping story that follows two Senior Detectives as they delve into a child prostitution ring with connections to the upper echelons of Newcastle society. While working on solving a double homicide, they also try to locate two boys who have gone missing. Through their investigations, they not only uncover the truth about the crimes they're investigating but also come to terms with their own personal demons. This story delves into the heart-wrenching effects of childhood sexual abuse on one's mental state. Despite sharing the same traumatic experiences, two individuals cope with their pain in distinct ways. Several characters are burdened with past abuse, either facing it head-on or choosing to ignore it. The perpetrators of abuse are also depicted, and even some victims are seen to suffer throughout the narrative. Notably, the story takes a unique turn by portraying male-on-male abuse instead of the typical male-on-female abuse.

The Walking Wounded is essentially four intertwined stories and their crossover points.

Story Arc 1: Senior Detective Sergeant Phillip “Phil” Dobson and Senior Detective Sergeant Li Ma “Turbo” Zhang are detectives with the Newcastle Homicide Squad. They are inseparable childhood friends, and an LGBTIQ+ love story for the ages.

Phil’s mother commits suicide due to her inability to cope with her own childhood sexual abuse. Phil is left feeling helpless and decides one suicide is one too many. He buries his feelings and is prone to emotional outbursts and Turbo is always there to help him explode in a controlled manner. His true love for Phil is unspoken as he is terrified of losing Phil’s friendship. Ironically, Phil’s outbursts come partly from burying his love for Turbo. Toxic masculinity rears its ugly head. 

Story Arc 2: Levi (11) and Noah (8) Holbert live in Dunedin New Zealand with their physically abusive mother. When Noah suggests moving to Australia, she inexplicably agrees and they arrive in Newcastle to start a new life. Two days later their mother is killed in a car accident and the boys find themselves in the hands of a sexually abusive priest. They disappear into Newcastle’s underbelly, caught by a child prostitution racket, for Newcastle’s elite. Levi endures blow after blow after blow trying to protect his little brother. Iceman (See Story Arc 3) blocks them at every turn, even killing to keep the upper hand. The crescendo builds in this exhausting fight and ultimately costs Levi his own life. Noah finds himself alone in a foreign country, and part of a world he struggles to understand. The only thing left to hang onto and trust is Davina. (See Story Arc 4)

Story Arc 3: Ian “Iceman” Chase is the man that runs the racket along with his mentor and protector Judge William Jude. He suffered violence and sexual abuse at the hands of his father for ten years, and it has destroyed his humanity. He doesn’t care and the world is frightened of him. When his home life becomes intolerable his solution is to destroy the family home with his parents in it. He is ultimately responsible for more than ten deaths. 

Story Arc 4: Davina Jacoby is a gender fluid Social Worker, also a sexual abuse survivor but uses her pain to drive her to help others. As a child she believed the abuse was actually normal behaviour and her favourite teacher used it to his advantage. The realisation that came in her teens almost destroyed her. With the support of the man that was to become her husband, she made it through. As Davina’s own life burns around her, she finds herself the foster parent of a very frightened, 8-year-old boy. She is a beautiful soul with a demeanour that belies her painful past.  

CAUTION: This piece of work is not for the faint-hearted. It contains strong language, adult themes, sex scenes, drug use, graphic physical and sexual abuse, and graphic murder scenes. Although child sexual abuse is not shown explicitly, it is implied, and the consequences are not pleasant.

SYDNEY GLOBAL CINE CARNIVAL Award Winner September 2023