STILL TIME

SYNOPSIS

Kola is a student who always believes there’s more time.

With an important exam approaching, he keeps choosing comfort over preparation, scrolling on his phone, going out with friends, and promising himself he’ll start “later.” Each delay feels harmless, even justified. After all, he’s convinced he works best under pressure.

The night before the exam, the illusion finally cracks. What was meant to be a short break has turned into panic, exhaustion, and rushed studying that leads nowhere. By morning, Kola walks into the exam hall already defeated, carrying the weight of all the moments he chose not to act.

Still Time is a quiet, realistic look at procrastination and self-deception , not as laziness, but as a series of small choices that slowly close off opportunity. In the end, the film asks a simple question: how much time do we really have, before “later” becomes too late?

SCENE 1

INT. HOSTEL ROOM - DAY

Golden light hits a mountain of dirty laundry. A half-eaten bag of chips sits atop a closed textbook: ADVANCED CELL BIOLOGY.

A phone alarm screams.

KOLA doesn't even open his eyes. His hand snakes out from under a thin duvet, fumbles across the floor, and hits snooze.

He sighs, pulling the duvet over his head.

KOLA

(Muffled, to himself)

Ten minutes. Ten minutes and I’m a scholar.

The room is silent, except for the tiny, metallic tick of a cheap plastic wall clock.

CUT TO:

A SERIES OF QUICK CUTS (MONTAGE):

• Kola’s thumb flicking upward on a phone screen. Over and over.

• A TikTok video of a cat falling off a table. Kola snickers.

• The shadows on the hostel wall shifting as the sun moves.

• Kola sitting up, looking at his desk, then immediately lying back down.

• A notification pops up: "BANTU’S BIRTHDAY BASH - TONIGHT @ 9PM."

SCENE 2

INT. HOSTEL ROOM - EVENING

Kola is standing in front of a cracked mirror, adjusting a gold chain. He looks sharp. The messy room is behind him, ignored.

His roommate, JIDE (21), is hunched over a desk, highlighters in hand.

JIDE

You’re actually going? The exam is at eight, man.

KOLA

(Grabbing his wallet)

I’ve been in this room all day, Jide. My brain is fried. I need a "reset." Two hours, then I’m back for an all-nighter.

JIDE

It’s already ten.

KOLA

(At the door, grinning)

Then I’ve got plenty of time. Stay hydrated, Professor.

Kola shuts the door. The "Biology" textbook on the floor is slightly kicked, sliding further under the bed.

SCENE 3

INT. THE "VIBE" LOUNGE - NIGHT

Red and blue neon lights pulse. The BASS is a physical force, rattling the ice in KOLA’S red plastic cup.

Kola is mid-laugh, surrounded by three friends. He looks like the life of the party.

KOLA

(Shouting)

—so I told her, if I fail, it’s because the syllabus is too small for my intellect!

Everyone roars. KOLA takes a long, confident gulp of his drink.

CLOSE ON KOLA’S FACE: The strobe light hits him—white, blue, red. He looks dazed for a split second.

He pulls out his phone to check the time.

SCREEN: 12:44 AM.

The music suddenly feels louder. The high-pitched synth notes start to sound like a dental drill. The laughter around him feels distorted, slow.

Kola’s smile drops. He realizes he’s not "resetting"—he’s drowning.

KOLA

(To himself)

Oh, god.

He turns and pushes through the crowd, spilling his drink on someone’s shoes. He doesn’t apologize. He’s already running.

SCENE 4

INT. HOSTEL ROOM - NIGHT (3:12 AM)

The door slams open. Kola is panting.

He rips the CELL BIOLOGY book from under the bed. He clears his desk in one violent sweep, sending empty soda cans clattering.

He clicks on the desk lamp. The bulb flickers before staying on.

KOLA

(Whispering, frantic)

Chapter one. Chapter one. Okay. Mitochondria... energy... okay... page twelve...

CLOSE ON THE PAGE: The text is dense. Tiny.

KOLA’s eyes are bloodshot. He tries to read a sentence, but his mind skips over the words. He reads the same line five times.

KOLA

(Voice cracking)

Focus. Focus, you idiot.

He grabs a cold energy drink, cracks it open, and gulps it down. He wipes his mouth with his sleeve.

TIME JUMP:

The clock reads 5:20 AM.

KOLA is still there. He’s holding his head in his hands. He looks like he’s aged ten years. He’s trying to memorize a diagram, but his head keeps nodding.

THUD. His forehead hits the desk. He jerks awake, heart racing.

KOLA

I’m awake! I’m awake.

The clock TICKS. Indifferent.

SCENE 5

INT. EXAM HALL - DAY (8:15 AM)

The hall is cavernous. The only sound is the rhythmic scritch-scritch of fifty pens on paper.

KOLA sits at a small wooden desk. He looks gray. There is a smudge of blue ink on his cheek.

An INVIGILATOR (50s) walks past, dropping a question paper on Kola’s desk with a soft THUD.

Kola stares at it.

CLOSE ON THE PAPER:

QUESTION 1: Describe the Krebs Cycle in detail.

KOLA’s hand reaches for his pen. It’s sitting right there.

He picks it up. His thumb hovers over the "clicker."

He looks at the clock on the front wall. 8:17 AM.

He looks back at the paper. He knows he saw the words "Krebs Cycle" in the book. He remembers the page number. He remembers the neon yellow highlighter.

But the information is gone. It’s a blank wall.

CLOSE ON KOLA: A single, hot drop of sweat rolls down his temple.

He looks to his left. A student is already on their second page, writing with a terrifying, fluid speed.

KOLA looks back at his blank sheet. He clicks the pen.

Click.

Click.

Click.

He doesn't write. He just watches the second hand of the clock sweep across the face, smooth and unstoppable.

The silence of the hall feels like a weight crushing his chest.

FADE TO BLACK.

TEXT ON SCREEN:

It’s never "Still Time." It’s just "Time."

FADE OUT.