DON’T MOVE
In-Conversation Interview with TJ Cimfel and David White by David Rocchio
TJ Cimfel and David White joined us at our 2024 Stowe Writers’ Retreat.
We reached out to talk with them about their film, DON’T MOVE, which was the number one movie on Netflix for two straight weeks. It has received nearly 60 million views. Some of the praise has been “A monster premiere weekend.” “Screamed out of the gate at Netflix.” “Smash hit.” “One of the standout titles of Netflix in 2024.”
Read below to learn more about TJ and David, their project, and the influence of Stowe along the way.
DR: Your movie DON'T MOVE is on Netflix. Congratulations! What is it about?
TJC + DW: DON’T MOVE is about a grieving mother who crosses paths with a serial killer in the woods. He injects her with a paralytic agent and she has to escape from him before her body totally shuts down.
DR: Yikes. Who came up with the idea?
TJC + DW: The directors, Adam Schindler and Brian Netto, called us in 2020, in the teeth of the pandemic, and pitched the idea of a movie centered around someone slowly losing their ability to move. There was something so intriguing about the idea given the paralysis we all were experiencing at the time. This horrible sense of being trapped in our homes, how it felt to be limited in our own mobility. It immediately grabbed us as a story that could be meaningful to anyone paralyzed by their life circumstances, looking for a way out. It didn’t hurt that Adam and Brian had the title already figured out. When they said “DON’T MOVE,” it was love at first pitch.
DR: How do you two write together, and do it so well?
TJC + DW: First of all, thank you. We’ve been writing together for so long, it’s a really organic process. Idea building usually happens together, breaking story in the room. For the script itself, one of us will write pages then send to the other, who revises as they see fit and then pushes forward. We trade back and forth with no set schedule. When we disagree on something, we have a simple system. Whoever feels strongest about it wins. We determine who that is as we talk it out. Then it’s, “Okay, we’ll do it your way and see how we feel when the script is finished.” And it almost always works out.
David (L) and TJ (R) working at the 2024 Stowe Writers’ Retreat
DR: We loved having you with us in September, can you share some thoughts about that experience? Did it impact your writing? If so, how?
TJC + DW: The Stowe Writers’ Retreat was an amazing experience for both of us. We had no idea what to expect, and were blown away by the thoughtful programming. It was perfectly calibrated for inspiration and execution, with a lot of hours dedicated to writing, reflecting, and revising. Being in an environment where ALL you do is write, think about writing, and talk about writing, was incredibly productive. We also got great notes on our new thriller spec, LITTLE GIRL LOST. We’ve completed a new draft based on those notes, and we can’t wait to send it out for reads.
DR: Thank you! Beyond LITTLE LOST GIRL, what are you working on now, and most importantly, tell us all ways for people to see DON'T MOVE?
TJC + DW: The success of DON’T MOVE has been extremely gratifying. It was in the global top ten of Netflix movies for four straight weeks, and that has brought a bunch of new meetings and opportunities. We can’t talk about a lot of what’s happening right now, but things are popping in a way they never have before. If anyone wants to watch DON’T MOVE, we’d love them to check it out on Netflix!
TJ Cimfel and David White
TJ Cimfel & David White are a Chicago-based writing duo specializing in genre features. Their original thriller spec, Don’t Move, was picked up by Raimi Productions and was released on Netflix in 2024. Other Cimfel-White spec sales/productions include There’s Something Wrong With the Children (Blumhouse Television, 2023) and Intruders (eOne/Momentum Pictures, 2016). They are represented by Gersh and Marc Manus (Manager). In addition, Dave worked on the script for the 2022 adaptation of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, produced by Centropolis Entertainment.
Interview by David Rocchio, Stowe Founder & Director
David Rocchio is an attorney, writer, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker. David conceived and co-produced with James Rogan The Gun Shop, an Emmy-nominated one-hour documentary commissioned by the UK Channel 4’s Cutting Edge series, where it premiered prime time and was awarded top reviews. It then played worldwide. David’s award-winning short films have played internationally, including the Cannes Short Film Corner and Italy’s Capalbio International Short Film Festival (Best of Capalbio). His most recent short film Gary, Jr. was produced and directed by Bertha Bay Sa Pan.
In addition to creating his own work, David founded and runs the nonprofit Stowe Story Labs, which is dedicated to helping top emerging screenwriters and filmmakers get work made and seen. Now in its twelfth year, Stowe works with approximately 200 emerging talents annually at labs, retreats, workshops, advanced development programs, mentoring programs, and film production programs.
David’s last job as a lawyer was as Legal Counsel to Vermont’s then-Governor Howard Dean. He was a nationally certified EMT and member of the Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol (Stowe, Vermont) for 22 years, and he remains an avid backcountry skier. David lives in Stowe.