Concept for a sci-fi thriller that I'm submitting to the Imagine x Netflix open submission call. In my opinion, an unofficial sequel to Cronenberg's Videodrome:

An empty suburban street at night. The sound of crickets emanates from a transformer atop a long wooden pole. A young weed dealer named NEV bikes past, finished her deliveries for the night. Nev makes it home to her bachelor apartment, then smokes from her hidden, personal dispensary-grade stash. In the morning, Nev goes to her favourite cafe. She flirts with the waiter, WES. A few booths down, sits an extraordinarily wealthy eye doctor named DR. VIV BRINNER. Nev sits at the park and sells more weed. Two young women approach. One sprays Nev with a misty fragrance, asking her to smell her perfume. The strangers leave. Shortly after, Nev hears a bird chirp loudly in her ear, then the sounds of hundreds of crickets chirping aimed right at her ear. Nev panics, then the sounds stop and Nev hurries home.

Nev enters her apartment, and again hears another bird chirp, then the very loud crickets. Nev's airways also close making her breathing laboured. Nev runs to the restroom, wets a cloth and rubs the inside of her ears and nose. The effects slowly subside. Nev does some research on the internet and stumbles upon a website forum and sees a commenter, using the alias Pins&Needles, mention something similar to what Nev is experiencing. The commenter states to only use a dry cloth to clean the spray off your body.

That night, Nev is awoken by more symptoms. She hears someone speak in her voice, telling her to wake up. She hears the animal sounds yet again. Her nose and airways close so she can barely breath. Hours later, Nev can breath and hear normally again. Nev goes back to the conspiracy website and checks the profile of the person who knew her symptoms. Nev messages him and quickly receives a response. They chat back and forth, and Nev convinces him to help. Pins&Needles tells Nev not to panic and not to trust the sounds she hears.

Nev checks her fridge and finds not much to choose from. She exits her apartment for groceries, and so does her next-door neighbour. Her neighbour introduces himself, and he seems friendly. Nev enters her apartment, groceries in hand. She puts away her food, and suddenly feels unbelievably ill. She wobbly makes her way to the bathroom and vomits into the toilet. She wakes up next to the porcelain bowl.

Nev exits the restroom and finds a letter at the foot of her door. She opens and reads the note inside, which tells her to leave all electronics and government-issued cards, then travel to a remote location. Nev does what the note said and finds Pins&Needles there. She learns P&N went through the same thing, and since Nev rubbed the spray deeper into her system, her symptoms will fade in about one year, so long as she isn't sprayed again.

P&N says the only way to not get sprayed is to live outside of society. Or, Nev must always be on alert, trust no one, get rid of all electronics, and never leave her home. Nev chooses to fight back and gather evidence to find out who's tormenting her. Pins&Needles gives her info on how to manipulate her household appliances to intercept the two people called senders, assigned to stay close to and monitor Nev, the ones making her sick. Nev deduces that her new neighbour must be one of the senders.

P&N also gives Nev the name of the woman who invented the process: Dr. Brinner. Nev goes home and researches Dr. Brinner. She learns she is a rich eye doctor based in London. There are no photos of her. Nev looks up the address to her office building. Nev hardwires her electronics like how Pins&Needles taught her, and soon can hear what is being said by the two senders in the room next door. They talk of how they love their job, the pay they receive, and that Nev is not their only target. Nev hears a crackly female voice say that she sees the target acting strangely. Nev enters the bathroom. The female voice says she has lost visual and for the senders to get her back into the living room. Nev hears someone say to her in her own voice, go do the dishes. Nev plays along and does her dishes. The female voice confirms they have visual.

With help from one of her customers, Nev sneaks inside the skyscraper housing Dr. Brinner's office on the top floor. Nev tries to book an appointment with Dr. Brinner. The receptionist tells Nev she must call in advance. The phone rings, the receptionist answers then tells Nev that Dr. Brinner will see her now. Nev is lead to the examination room, and waits nervously. Dr. Brinner enters and Nev instantly recognizes her to be a regular at her favourite cafe. Brinner pretends she doesn't know Nev and offers her a free eye exam. Nev says no, though Brinner talks her into it. Dr. Brinner places a device over Nev's eyes and it shoots a red laser into her retina. Nev flinches and wipes her left eye. Dr. Brinner tells Nev the next part of the procedure requires her to be sprayed with a revitalizing mist for the eyes. Nev refuses and gets very defensive. Nev runs out of the office in a hurry.

Nev returns home and later that night, she spots a red dot move about her apartment. Nev stares directly at the light beam and suddenly hears the female voice speak again saying they have a lock-on visual. Nev learns the senders now have control over her tongue, nose, ears, and stomach, and can see what she sees. Nev does more research and learns these organs are connected deeply with toes. Nev covers her toes with tape and her symptoms are dampened.

Nev dismantles all of her electronics. She discovers a strange liquid inside her modem and pours some on her hand. Instead of dripping it absorbs into her skin almost instantly. Nev experiences a sudden change, She feels electricity course through her body without discomfort. Nev turns on the TV and along with the characters on every channel, in the background of each scene, Nev can see everything her neighbour and the second sender are doing that moment next-door to her. Nev is hit with another bird tweet in her ear followed by the crickets, and the sick feeling, this time the effects are extremely heightened after absorbing the battery juice. Nev exits her apartment and frantically roams the streets, she stops anyone who will listen, except she sounds incoherent now. Nev declares loudly she will get payback against those ruining her life.

Nev purchases all the batteries she can afford. She is evicted from her apartment and isn't able to support herself selling weed anymore. A couple of friends walk along the sidewalk, with one on the phone. Nev runs past and snatches the person's phone. He chases after her, except she maneuvers past him. Nev returns to her abandoned, dilapidated house containing no electronics. She takes apart the cellphone to get its battery juice. She places the acid into a mason jar, then places the jar back in a cooler stacked atop others. Nev rummages through garbage bins and places all the electronics she finds in a wagon. She has collected enough battery acid to halfway fill her bathtub.

Nev submerges herself in the battery juice. The liquid absorbs quickly into her body. Nev feels no immediateside effects. She exits the tub and stares in the mirror. Every time she blinks, she's a new colour. She returns to her usual colour, then she starts to burn and turn bright red. Steam and smoke lift off her skin. Her eyes melt out of her sockets, she screams and a very bright light emits from her mouth. Nev starts to corrode from the inside out, she coughs up blood, then drops dead. Her body dissolves entirely until she a puddle on the floor.

The two senders assigned to Nev sit in their apartment doing more work. Nev's ex-waiter and friend, Wes, busts through the door and shoots them both with a hi-tech gun. That night, Wes scales the skyscraper up to Dr. Brinner's office at the top floor. He uses hi-tech built by him, through instructions by Nev. Wes melts a hole in the window, then recreates the window so no one knows he's there.

Wes hides until the receptionist arrives, then Dr. Brinner enters her office. Wes steps out of hiding and shoots the receptionist. He enters the office of Dr. Brinner. Dr. Brinner is surprised to see Wes with gun in hand, though understands after Nev materializes in the room. Nev is now disembodied, though she has become one with electricity. Nev and Wes shoot Dr. Brinner together. Nev tells Wes to leave the building and he does. Nev activates the fire alarm and waits for everyone to reach safety. Nev causes the electronics in the building to overheat and get so hot, the entire building melts away.