THE CONTRACTOR

written by

Cleo Caserta
FADE IN:

INT. CONTRACTING FIRM - DAY

Keyboard clicking cuts through the silence on an ordinary
office floor. Light gray cubicles cramp up the large space
and dark vinyl wood floors add character to the dull
environment. Framed on the walls are drawings of skyscrapers,
museums, libraries, condos and apartments. Out of the giant
windows is a view of Midtown Manhattan; skyscrapers, heavy
traffic and tourists wandering around.

In a cubicle at the center of the room, LUIS TORRES, Early

40s, calm and concentrated, wearing a casual outfit, scrolls
through his inbox.
He scrolls back to the top and stares blankly, the light of
the white website reflecting off his face. He sighs,
refreshes the page.
A new email from a local construction company appears. The
subject line reads: "185 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg
Brooklyn Development". Luis quickly opens the email and
examines it, mouth agape and eyes wide. He reads it up and
down then takes a quick pause.
He Closes the email in a panic, shuts off his computer, grabs
a knapsack off the floor and rushes off, shaking his head in
disbelief.
CUT TO:

INT. CONTRACTING FIRM - ELEVATOR - DAY

Two steel doors open on the 11th floor. Luis runs inside. He
presses the ground floor button, then repeatedly hits the
close door button. As the doors slide closed, he sighs and
relaxes against the wall. Bossa Nova Jazz plays from the
speakers above, as the elevator heads down.
At the 10th floor it stops and a large crowd of BUSINESSMEN
walk in, pushing Luis to a cramped spot in the corner. When
the group settles in, JOHN WALTERS, late 50s, grey slicked-
back hair, a big black moustache, formal and wearing
sunglasses, struts into the elevator, standing proud at the
front of the crowd. John's head hangs the highest in the
elevator, as if the rest were bowing down to him.
Luis hides behind the other men, and stares down at the
ground, eyes wide. John takes a look at the people
surrounding him and the doors close.
 2.

The elevator stops at the 5th floor and the doors open to a
fancy food court. John and the suits around him all exit ,
leaving only Luis in the elevator. John takes a slight glance
at the elevator while walking away and sees Luis staring down
at the ground. He pauses in his tracks, examines Luis,
eyebrows raised. Luis keeps looking down, avoiding eye
contact. The doors of the elevator close and Luis lets out a
sigh of relief.

INT. CONTRACTING FIRM - GROUND FLOOR - DAY

The elevator doors open. Luis sprints out of the elevator. He
runs with his eyes trained straight ahead. DOORMAN, late
50's, greets him with a kind smile and a wave, he ignores the
gesture and shoves the front door open, running outside of
the office building.

EXT. MIDTOWN STREET - DAY (CONTINUOUS)

Luis runs at full speed. Giant crowds of tourists look around
at the high rise office buildings on either side of the
street, workers and students chat large groups, taking their
time to walk down the street. He weaves between people around
the corner, to a side street with fewer people.
He slows down, breathing heavily. After a beat he collects
himself and resumes his run down the street.
CUT TO:

INT. LUIS'S RED SEDAN - DAY

Luis drives calmly down the middle lane of The Bowery. He
stops at a red light on Delancey street and notices a sign
which reads: "LEFT LANE TURN ONLY". Across the street,
another sign with an arrow pointing left reads: "WILLIAMSBURG
BRIDGE". After glancing at the signs, he looks straight
ahead. He taps his fingers nervously on the wheel and
whistles while he waits for the light to change.
The light turns green and Luis drives forward. Halfway
through the street he looks directly out his left window and
sees the bridge. He takes a hard turn left and is nearly hit
by a turning car behind him. The car honks loudly. Luis
cruises down Delancey Street towards the Williamsburg Bridge.
CUT TO:
 3.

EXT. METROPOLITAN AVENUE - DAY

Luis parks his car, gets out, and closes the door. He walks
on the side walk and takes in his surroundings. Expensive
retailers in tiny storefronts carved out of homes, upscale
dining in warehouses, out-of-place condos and apartment
buildings separated by townhouses.
Luis stops at a particularly out-of-shape building and looks
up at the door. Hanging right next to the door is an address:
185 Metropolitan Ave. Luis stares upward, his mind somewhere
else.
FADE TO:

EXT. 185 METROPOLITAN AVENUE - DAY

It's a summer day in Williamsburg. A YOUNG LUIS, 11, in a
white tank top and red striped swim trunks, looks up at the
building and waves at his mother, SOFIA TORRES, late 30s,
sitting on the porch holding a TODDLER. She waves back with a
smile and watches him run off into the street to a group of
BOYS.
The fire hydrants, shoot waves of high-pressure water onto
the street. All the NEIGHBORHOD are out in the street playing
in the water. OLDER MEN sit in rocking chairs outside of a
bodega and watch the children have fun. Luis hangs out with a
boy his age, DANIEL, 10-12, playful and joyous.
Luis and Daniel walk to the start of the block and the group
of boys watch on as they line up for a race. A BOY stands
besides the two, he puts up 5 fingers and counts down. 4. 3.
2. 1.
The boys sprint down the block at full speed. They're neck
and neck, and run through the arch of water shooting out of
the hydrant.
Drenched, they look at each other and laugh as they run
further. At the end of the block Daniel starts panting and
Luis gets a tight lead in the race, winning at the imaginary
finish line. Parents and children cheer them on.
Luis pumps his fist triumphantly. He turns around and notices
Daniel looking at him, disappointed. Luis pats Daniel on the
back and Daniel looks up, smiling. Arms around each others
backs, they walk towards 185 Metropolitan.
FADE TO:
 4.

EXT. 185 METROPOLITAN AVENUE - DAY

Luis stares up at the house. He notices some papers on the
door and walks up the stairs to get a closer look.
Posted on the door is an eviction notice written a week
prior. Next to that is a photo of an apartment complex design
with the address 185 Metropolitan Ave. Luis gets teary eyed.
He grabs them off the door, rips the paper to tiny shreds and
drops them on the doorstep. He walks down the steps and turns
around at the bottom. gets one last look at the building.
CUT TO:

EXT. MIDTOWN STREET - DAY

Luis struts down the street, slowly navigating his way
through the crowds. He stops in front of his office building
and looks up to the 11th floor windows. Luis trains his aim
on the door, opens it and walks back in calmly.
CUT TO:

INT. CONTRACTING FIRM - DAY

Luis sits at his desk and turns his computer on. He navigates
to his email and finds 4 emails awaiting him. He opens the
first: 185 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg. He looks at the
contents, a spreadsheet of materials and costs. He quickly
closes the link and deletes the email.
He opens the second link: 515 W 134th Street, Harlem. He
copies the address into a map and presses enter. He stares at
the street view of a beautiful tenement apartment building, a
WOMAN and her CHILD walk out of the door in the photo. Luis
covers his mouth with his hand, looking sickly. He returns
to his inbox, and opens the third link: 46-99 21st Street,
Long Island City. And the fourth: 10-62 Cypress Ave,
Bushwick.
Luis, still nauseous, closes his tabs and deletes the emails
from his inbox. He takes a piece of paper from his desk and
scribbles on it.
He stands up angrily and walks to a water cooler against a
wall. He pushes it over and it slams into the ground,
spilling gallons of water onto the vinyl wood floor. His
coworkers over their cubicles at the noise. He turns around,
flipping them all off with an antagonistic face, then walks
to the hallway.
CUT TO:
 5.

INT. CONTRACTING FIRM - JOHN'S OFFICE - DAY

Luis bursts in. On the walls are famous art and portraits of
John. It's furnished with dark wood furniture and a giant
handmade Indian rug covers the floor. In the center of the
room is an empty leather chair and a giant executive desk.
Luis walks up to the desk and slaps a piece of paper down. He
scans around the room, gazing at the luxury decor John
curated. He strides back to the door and pulls it open.
Standing right outside is John Walters, hand reaching to the
door handle.
Luis looks John dead in the eyes and stomps out, bumping him
in the shoulder on his way out. John, bewildered, looks at
Luis walking away and then back into his office. He walks
back into his office and notices a piece of paper on his
desk. John sits down in his chair and holds the paper in his
hands, which reads "Fuck you John, I quit - Luis Torres" John
takes his sunglasses off and furrows his brows, then rips up
the paper.
CUT TO:

INT. GROUND FOOR - DAY

The Elevator doors open and people pour out of it. At the
back is Luis. He walks triumphantly into the lobby. He heads
toward the door. The Doorman stands at the front and waves
happily at Luis. He waves back and gives him a big smile
before pushing the front door open.

EXT. MIDTOWN STREET - DAY (CONTINUOUS)

Luis walks out of the building and stands around outside. He
looks at the crowds of people pushing their way through the
city and the traffic of rush hour.
He looks back around at the building and then starts walking
down the street. He chuckles to himself. The chuckle becomes
a laugh, and then tears. Luis drops to his knees on the
sidewalk crying. People Stare. He stands up, wipes his tears
and walks off into the crowd.
FADE TO BLACK.