When I first played Hotline Miami, I had no idea it would rank among my all-time favorite video game experiences. But it did. I gave it a shot, and it shot me right back. Right in the f****ng gut, man. And I’ve been gladly dying from it ever since.
I was so inspired by Hotline Miami’s story – woah, back up, let’s call it ‘narrative’ … I was so inspired by its narrative that before I was even finished playing, my imagination was already filling in some blanks and creating reasons behind the seemingly random or intentionally random string of ultra-violent murders throughout the 80s era Miami depicted in the game, set to one of the sweetest synth soundtracks I’ve ever heard. See, that’s the thing… I believe the developers, Dennaton Games, left their story intentionally vague (play it for yourself and see if you agree), and part of that magic really captivated me. So I got to work.
Before this script, I had not written anything for a long time. And me, supposedly a writer. Playing Hotline Miami was the swift kick in the ass (or the wad of buckshot to the sinus cavity, perhaps) I needed to prove to myself I was capable of starting and finishing big writing projects. (Full disclosure: There's still work to be done. What you'll see below is the shitty first draft. I've already thought of a ton of changes to make when I revise.)
Be warned: This ain’t your grandma’s flavor of movie script. Blood is spilled. People get hurt really, really bad. A lot of them don’t deserve it. But, godamn, a lot of them do. They really do. You’ll see.
One final note: I am fully aware that I have absolutely no claim over the intellectual property that is Hotline Miami. Nothing you see here technically belongs to me. The idea is not my own. It is the sole property of Dennaton Games (developer) and Devolver Digital (publisher).
This is fan fiction in feature-length screenplay form.
Enjoy!
