The Cannibal Killer

Written by Diablo Cody, this contemporary horror duologue captures a tense exchange between high school couple Needy and Chip. Needy attempts to confide in her boyfriend about a horrifying, supernatural encounter she witnessed involving Jennifer, only to find him dismissing her genuine trauma. The scene balances idiosyncratic, quirky dialogue with an underlying atmosphere of disbelief and distress.

Needy is an earnest, intelligent teenager who finds herself completely destabilized after experiencing an unexplainable, grotesque event. She feels an urgent need to be believed by someone she loves, fighting against the natural fear that she might be losing her mind. Chip represents the everyday high school boyfriend trying to rationalize an impossible story, balancing mild concern for Needy's wellbeing with an awkward instinct to normalize the situation through mundane humor.

Running approximately one minute, this compact scene is an excellent choice for self-tapes and agent showcases. The material allows performers to demonstrate their ability to handle distinct, rhythmic writing without losing grounded emotional stakes. It offers high-contrast objectives, sharp shifts in tone, and an immediate interpersonal conflict that grabs attention from the first line.

This piece is ideal for young actors working within the late teens casting bracket who align with Girl Next Door, Boy Next Door, Vulnerable, or Quirky casting types. It serves as strong audition material for film or television projects that blend dark comedy with genuine horror elements. Both roles also provide fantastic general-practice text for scene study classes focusing on conversational listening and reacting.

Resist the urge to play the dialogue purely for laughs, as the scene works best when Needy’s visceral shock is treated as entirely real. Needy should actively fight to convince Chip, treating his skepticism as an obstacle rather than just accepting his comments. For Chip, ground your disbelief in genuine care and mild confusion rather than casual cruelty, ensuring the romantic bond between the characters remains apparent throughout the interaction.