The Shoal
LOGLINE: A fisherman dives a cursed wreck off a dying Maine island, accidentally awakening Cthulhu's dream-cult, and must reclaim his suppressed supernatural heritage to save his daughter from a mass baptism into the deep.
TAGLINE: Pray your screams rise to the top.
The Shoal Concept Art by Lon Wright
The Shoal takes place on a fictitious 1900s island off the coast of Maine. I asked Lon to design a map that might appear in a travel guide. His compass and tentacles were exactly what I was expecting.
Hugo is the main character in The Shoal. He is a fisherman and will do anything to help his daughter survive a deadly affliction. Here, he is imagined holding her stuffed seal.
Captain Connolly is a man turned creature in The Shoal. The mysterious waters turn him into a Man-Squid. This is before he meets his demise. Captain Connolly's last bath.
During the climax of The Shoal, Cthulhu rises from the black deep to bask in the praise of his worshippers only to be angered by what he finds. It doesn't go well for residents of Blackwood.
Film Festival Circuit nods for The Shoal
In 2026, The Shoal was an Honorable Mention in the Horror Underground Screenplay Festival!
In 2026, The Shoal won the Award for BEST FEATURE in the Dunwich Horror Fest!
In 2026, The Shoal was named an Official Selection for The Thing in the Basement Horror Fest!
In 2026, The Shoal won the Ethereal Horror Fest in Austin, Texas! I feel so honored that the team at Ethereal saw value in my work!
I made this quick promo for The Thing in the Basement Horror Fest.
All Original Art Work for The Shoal on this site was created by Lon Wright 2026
(83 pages)
Grimm succumbs to helmet squeeze. After an encounter with a mysterious entity, Grimm's suit is compromised in the deep dark of a Blackwood shipwreck.
In 2026, The Shoal was named an Official Selection for The Fright Night Film Fest!
Grimm's mind is poisoned. He stalks the bottom of the sea for Hugo.
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Horror Haven has awarded The Shoal with an HONORABLE MENTION in their festival this year. Horror Haven is held in Evansville, Indiana!
Garrick becomes a sea creature.
Hugo and Grimm discover THE DAMSEL'S ghost.
The Shoal and Selene were
selected for HIDE Fest (The Halloween Independent Discoveries and Entertainment Fest) in Haslett, Michigan!
The Ethereal Horror Fest is the ultimate indie genre film festival, celebrating visionary storytelling and spine-chilling cinema in Austin, TX. On Sunday, The Shoal was announced as the Screenplay Feature Winner for 2026! I am so honored and excited!
PRAISE FROM THE DEEP:
Underneath all of the creatures, mythology, and madness is a very human story about a father trying desperately to protect his daughter. Their relationship gives the horror emotional weight, and the selkie storyline ultimately becomes much more than mythology — it becomes part of the heart of the film.
-The Thing in the Basement