Black Heart Boys' Choir
GENRE
HORROR
Core Theme
RAGE, VIOLENCE, INSANITY
TIME PERIOD
Contemporary
COMPARABLE TITLES
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
CHARACTER LIST
LUCIEN: 16, BRILLIANT, ANGRY, VIOLENT
MAX: 16, CHUBBY, SWEET, EAGER TO PLEASE, LUCIEN’S FRIEND
J.C. AND ASHER: 16, SADISTIC, CRUEL, LUCIEN’S FRIENDS AND ACCOMPLICES
VIOLET: 16, BEAUTIFUL, CRUEL, TALENTED, CUNNING, LUCIEN’S CRUSH
AMDUSCIAS: DEMONIC UNICORN
MS. KANE: GENERIC, LUCIEN’S COUNSELOR
Logline
Lucien Beaumont is a teenage misfit and musical prodigy ostracized by his peers and haunted by familial tragedy. When he discovers an unfinished song composed by his dead father—a song that holds terrible power—Lucien becomes obsessed.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54,55+
Target Gender: Male Leaning
Setting
Enfield (fictional MA town), Boston, Cambridge
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Self-published
Year Published: 2019
Starting Description
The story begins with a flash foward to the climax. Lucien and his friends are commiting a school shooting, but his language is such that he describes it in terms of a work of music and with demonic imagery.He's shot by police and his life flashes before his eyes, giving us the story.
Ending Description
Lucien and his friends kidnap a high school nemesis and commit a terrible school shooting that they see as the completion of the song that Lucien is obsessed with -The Madrigal of the World's End. Lucien is killed by the police and he realizes that his death is the climax of the song.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
978-1075108068
Mature Audience Themes
Extreme Violence,Substance Abuse, Language/Profanity
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message,Philosophical Questions
Plot - Premise
Tragedy
Main Character Details
Name: Lucien Beaumont
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Narcisstic,Complex,Confident,Crazy,Skillful,Sophisticated,Unapologetic,Engaging,Villainous,Educated
Additional Character Details
Name: Maxwell
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Role: Sidekick
Key Traits: Underdog,Empathetic,Skillful,Insecure,Naive
Additional Character Details
Name: Amduscias
Age: As old as creation
Gender: Other
Role: tempter
Key Traits: Villainous,Aggressive,Charming,Narcisstic,Confident,Sophisticated,Manipulative
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Genre
DRAMA
Brief
After the suicide of his father, a high school student is forced to move homes and schools. He is an angry misfit and a very gift musician. He befriends a group dark teens and after he finds a musical manuscript left behind by his father, the boys work on creating an evil masterpiece. It culminates a deadly school shooting.
Overall Rating
EXCELLENT
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: EXCELLENT
Characterization: EXCELLENT
Commerciality: FAIR
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: GOOD
Premise: EXCELLENT
Structure: EXCELLENT
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
Yes, the profile accurately describes the book.
Draw of Story
The beautiful, flowery language used by the writer is quite compelling.
Possible Drawbacks
The brutal torture and murder of Max's girlfriend was an unfortunate loss and the graphic depiction of her death was nauseating.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The musical device used in the story is quite clever.
Fanbase Potential
This is violent, dark and devastating. The subject matter is so disturbing that it would most likely not attract a large fanbase.
Awards Potential
It could have Awards potential since it is so beautifully written, is very stylistic and touches on an often taboo, but relevant subject.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
What’s New About the Story
Using a musical masterpiece to illustrate a descent into madness is quite a unique way to allow the unfolding of the devastating story. It doesn't need any alterations on that point.
Lead Characters
The sheer cruelty of his character makes Lucien stand out.
Uniqueness of Story
This is actually a rare gem! It is so beautifully crafted, but also completely devastating.
Possible Formats
Film - Studio, Film - Streaming, Film - Indie, TV Series - Limited Run / Mini-Series
Analyst Recommendation
RECOMMEND
Brief
Upon finding a portion of a demonic composition left behind after his father’s suicide, a musical prodigy becomes entrenched with a dark muse that requires sacrifices of the most gruesome kind for the music is completed.
What We Liked
The premise is strong and compelling. The writing to so very good. The imagery jumps right off the page and the musical device used makes the story unique. It is flawlessly paced, highly stylized and original.
Film: This is tailor made for a film adaptation. The juxtaposition with beauty, music and violence would translate quite well to the big screen. The highly stylized presentation would be easy to transform into intense visuals.
TV: This is much more suited for film adaptation, but it could potentially be developed into a limited run series on television. However, it is not for the faint of heart so mainstream television is out of the question. It would have to find a home at a cable or streaming outlet.
Key points: Unique; Musical; Timely subject matter; Highly cinematic; Genre mixing
Synopsis
Lucien Beaumont is an incredibly smart musical prodigy. His life is completely uprooted when his beloved father and mentor commits suicide. Lucien’s mother is a junkie and his dad was the only thing holding her together. She is always heavily medicated and leaves Lucien to fend for himself while she spends her life in bed. Because of her inability to cope, they are forced to leave their beautiful home to live in a condo that embarrasses Lucien. He is also forced to leave his prestigious private academy for a public school. Lucien is angry and becomes a loner and a social outcast in his new school. When he gets into an altercation with a bully named Ari Cole, Lucien is blamed and sent to talk the school counselor, Ms. Kane. He feels unfairly maligned and targeted at school and begins to entertain fantasies about violently hurting those who pick on him. He finds a friend in Max, a chubby music student who looks up to him. They decide to try out for the glee club together. Lucien is absolutely blown away by the beauty and talent of a girl named Violet. After her audition, she insults Lucien and he surprises everyone by belting out Beethoven. This begins his love/hate infatuation with Violet.
After the audition, Lucien is approached by J.C. and Asher. They are the resident bad boys of the school and Lucien impressed them with his musical prowess. Lucien, Max and their two new friends decide to defy convention and start their own choir, calling it the Black Heart Boys’ Choir. Lucien finds an unfinished piece of music left behind by his father. The powerful piece of music heralds the apocalypse and Lucien becomes obsessed with finishing it. He and the choir plan to perform it once it is finished. Lucien’s dad was working on the piece with his conductor friend, Philip Gravetree. Lucien pays him a visit and Gravetree tells him to abandon the piece. He warns him that it is evil and was the reason for his father’s death. Lucien is visited by a demonic black unicorn called Amduscias. Lucien has a horrific fantasy of killing Gravetree and as the violence unfolds, Amduscias reveals more notes for the masterpiece.
Wanting more to be revealed, and realizing that blood must to shed to achieve this, Lucien visits the family who is now living in his old house. As a murder fantasy blurs with the real life violence, Amduscias reveals more notes of the music. More bloodshed will be needed to finish. When Lucien notices that Violet has been abused by her lowlife boyfriend, Leo, he wants to defend her. He enlists the help of his choir and as they are beating Leo within an inch of his life, Amduscias reveals more sections of music. Max is so bothered by the violence that he leaves the choir. Max tells Ms. Kane what happened and Lucien is questioned.
J.C. and Asher are so angry with Max for telling on them, that they decide to sacrifice him. The kidnap Max and his girlfriend and take them to their abandoned practice space. They torture them both and murder Max’s girlfriend in front of him before calling Lucien to join them. Lucien doesn’t want to kill Max, but he knows he must. Amduscias reveals the rest of the masterpiece as Lucien murders his best friend.
The boys need a 4th member of the choir to replace Max. Violet will be the perfect addition. They murder her father, kidnap her and force her to sing with them. They plan to perform the piece at a school dance. They arrive at the dance decked out with guns. They perform the music accompanied with blazing gunfire. Ari is one of the first killed and others fall like flies. As the music reaches a climax, Lucien and his choir are shot by police responding to the school massacre. The final notes of music usher in Lucien’s death and it is finished.