Writing a Great Story with “Ink”

The indy film “Ink” is a fresh take on the battle between good and evil as they fight over our souls in the unseen, spiritual realm in which they interact. The film, which was not wide-released, focuses on the redemption of the relationship between John and his daughter Emma. This battle takes place in an extra-dimension in which our world can be seen but not interacted with physically. Two groups, the Incubi and the Storytellers, within this existential realm are in constant opposition. The Incubi seek to recruit members by infusing fear and hatred through nightmares. The Storytellers seek to recruit by giving people hope through good dreams. When the two sides clash, street-fighting style battles erupt.

Ink, a recent addition to the spiritual world, needs to deliver Emma’s soul to the head Incubi in order to join their forces, in a sort of initiation. He’s intercepted by a gang of Storytellers when he abducts her soul and successfully takes Emma with her as he journeys to the Incubi headquarters. Meanwhile, in the waking world, she lies in a coma. John, estranged from his daughter for reasons revealed in the film, battles with himself over whether to visit her in the hospital. This battle is intensified by the influence of the Incubi and the Storytellers as they both try to sway John’s decisions through the dreams that they give him.

As the spiritual realm affects those in the film through dreams, there’s a cause and effect that happens. Will characters be influenced by the evil, dark, destructive Incubi or the hopeful, valiant, heroic Storytellers? Taken a step further, what can be said about decisions that we make every day? The idea that our decisions are affected by and affect a reality we don’t see is provocative. The stakes are high, as decisions to love or to hate either add to the good guy side or the bad guy side. Will bitterness help evil forces at work in the spiritual realm, or will love and forgiveness add to those who fight to give hope to the hopeless?

There’s not much mention of any kind of leader of each of these groups. There’s a sort of head Incubi, but not much is explored with this character. There’s a brief mention of God from the Storytellers. Perhaps this was done on purpose. Spiritualizing the film too much would have turned many off. However, the absence of any kind of mastermind behind each group begs a lot of questions. Does the film mean to invoke the idea that God and the devil are involved? Who gives the orders? Who strategizes? What are the motives of both sides, other than to recruit members? Why does one side need good to flourish, and the other side need evil?

These questions and more make “Ink” a provocative and psychological mind-bending, accessible film.