OUT ON A LIMBANG
Screenplay by Alan Shoubridge · Feature film · War drama / true events
In 1962 Borneo, two young Royal Marines counting down the final days of their deployment discover a fortune hidden in a remote jungle village. Torn between survival, loyalty and the weight of war, they carry a deadly secret back to Britain — only to learn that the real battle begins once they are home.
During the violent 1962 Borneo conflict, two Royal Marines stumble across a cache of valuables in a jungle village and make a fateful decision that follows them back to civilian life, forcing them to confront what they took, what it cost and who they became.
Set during the lesser known 1962 Brunei Revolt and the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, Out on a Limbang follows two nineteen year old Royal Marines, Evans and Radcliffe, stationed deep in the jungles of Borneo. Exhausted, half starved and dreaming of home, they spend their final week counting down the days until extraction.
After a brutal skirmish forces their unit to take shelter in a remote Dayak village, the pair uncover a hidden stash of valuables — gold jewellery, coins and heirlooms hastily concealed beneath a collapsed hut. The items clearly belong to villagers caught between rebel forces and the British military presence. What begins as a moment of temptation spirals into a dangerous split-second decision. The boys take the fortune, telling themselves no one will ever know.
When a sudden evacuation order pulls them from the jungle, the stolen treasure becomes their unspoken bond. But back in Britain the weight of their secret grows heavier. Evans struggles to reconcile what he took with the person he believes he is. Radcliffe sees the treasure as a ticket to build a new life and pushes them both deeper into denial.
Over time their paths diverge. Evans attempts normality — factory shifts, quiet nights, a relationship he cannot quite hold together. Radcliffe drifts into petty crime and risky dealings, the fortune becoming both a lure and a curse. Flashbacks to the jungle haunt both men, blurring the line between memory, guilt and trauma.
When news reaches them years later that the Dayak community suffered reprisals shortly after their unit withdrew, Evans is consumed by remorse. He becomes determined to return the items and face whatever consequence awaits. Radcliffe sees this as a betrayal that could destroy them both.
The final act becomes a tense moral reckoning as the once inseparable friends collide over the truth of what they took, the price others paid and the men they have become. The film explores the unseen emotional cost carried home from forgotten conflicts — and the moment a single choice can echo across decades.