A Beautiful Nightmare: The Seer and the Sword. A movie, a memoir.

By Antonio Pantoja 

Some stories take years to wrestle out of you. Others descend like a prophecy carved into stone, demanding to be told.

The Seer and the Sword came to me in just four days. But the truth is, it was never really mine alone.

It started as a late-night idea with my daughter, Echo.We had been playing Skyrim together, talking about how incredible it would be to step into a world like that on film. So we came up with a few ideas for a movie. That night, while she slept, I stayed up until five in the morning fleshing out the bones of the story. At 7, I woke her for school, but before she could even brush her teeth, I had to tell her everything. We went back and forth for so long that morning, sharpening and shaping this world together, that she was late to school. That’s how alive it felt.

I wrote the script in four sleepless, furious days. Every word poured out of me because I had one person in mind the whole time, my brother and close friend, John Wells. John wasn’t just an actor I wanted for the part. He was the part. I could see him in every frame, carrying the weight of this story on his shoulders.

But when I finished the draft, I realized the soul of this story belonged to someone else too, my friend Sabrina. She had been through battles that mirrored the wounds hidden in this film. I knew in my bones it needed her voice. Yes, it would be healing for her. But selfishly? I wanted her fingerprints on this story. I wanted her perspective woven into its marrow.

The film itself follows Therin, a weary father and former monster hunter whose world is torn apart when a beast attacks his home, killing his wife and leaving his daughter Lyra at death’s door. Desperate to save her, Therin seeks the aid of a mysterious Oracle. To keep his child alive, he must become the warrior he once was, but every step back into that life risks devouring what little humanity he has left.

Imagine the brutality of John Wick set against the sweeping myth of Game of Thrones and The Witcher, but infused with the haunting emotional core of Pan’s Labyrinth. That’s the essence of The Seer and the Sword.

The last five years of my life have been scar tissue, grief, and clawing my way toward redemption. Writing this film was like ripping open the curtains of my chest and letting people see inside of my soul. It’s what’s truly in my heart. It isn’t just a film, it’s a warning shot. A howl in the night.

When audiences see The Seer and the Sword, they’ll feel it. They’ll know it was born of grief, loss, love, and survival. It’s not a fantasy escape; it’s a mirror, dressed in blood and myth. 

And now, the hard part: bringing it to life. We plan to shoot this December, but indie filmmaking doesn’t happen without a community. We’re raising money right now to get this film made, and every dollar will be visible on screen. If you want to be part of something raw, haunting, and unforgettable, I invite you to join us. 

Scan the QR code to watch the trailer and to get involved with the crowdfunding campaign. You can follow our journey or get involved in the film yourself there. You can pre-buy tickets to the premiere, a t-shirt, or even be in the film yourself. 

This isn’t just my film. It’s ours.