Adulterers (2016) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Adulterers is set in New Orleans, Louisiana. The story unfolds primarily inside a suburban home and its rose-filled backyard, with the city's sultry climate and distinctive Louisiana atmosphere providing the backdrop for this tense drama.

• new orleans location
• louisiana setting
• suburban home

The film is set in the present day, unfolding over a single catastrophic afternoon during a sweltering heat wave. This contemporary setting allows the story to leverage modern relationship dynamics and social contexts.

• present day
• modern setting
• single day story

The film explores three primary themes: Betrayal, which centers on broken trust after infidelity destabilizes the marriage; Rage and Revenge, tracking how anger spirals into violent punishment and distorts moral boundaries; and Domestic Tragedy, where a home becomes a site of lethal danger beneath a veneer of normalcy.

• betrayal
• revenge
• domestic tragedy
• themes

The rose-filled backyard serves as a grim symbol of beauty turned deadly. The rose motif underlines the theme of beauty corrupted by violence and consequence, transforming a typically peaceful domestic space into a grim scene of confrontation.

• roses
• symbolism
• backyard
• beauty corrupted

Samuel Deuprey is motivated by the devastating discovery of his wife Ashley's infidelity. His motivation shifts from heartbreak and suspicion to a desire for vengeance, demonstrating how betrayal can push a person toward violent punishment and a need for control.

• samuel motivation
• infidelity
• revenge
• betrayal

Damien is the married lover whose affair with Ashley triggers the film's central confrontation. His duplicity catalyzes the violent confrontation between the spouses, revealing the moral cost of infidelity and the ripple effects it has on multiple families.

• damien character
• affair
• lover

Jasmine is Damien's wife, who is three months pregnant at the time of the story. She becomes drawn into the affair's fallout and must make a pivotal choice regarding Damien's fate, embodying how betrayal's consequences extend beyond the immediate couple to affect innocent parties.

• jasmine
• pregnant wife
• damien's wife

Ashley is Samuel's wife whose infidelity sets the film's events in motion. Her past relationships and history of abuse color the dynamics of trust and punishment during the present crisis, making her both a victim of circumstance and a central figure in the broken trust.

• ashley character
• wife
• infidelity

The New Orleans setting contributes a sultry, humid atmosphere that amplifies the emotional intensity of the confrontation. The city's vibrant culture and the oppressive heat create a claustrophobic environment that mirrors the escalating tension inside the home, while the distinctive Louisiana atmosphere adds layers of Southern Gothic mood.

• new orleans atmosphere
• heat
• humidity
• southern setting

The sweltering heat wave serves as both a literal and metaphorical element. The oppressive heat amplifies the emotional intensity and claustrophobia of the confrontation happening inside the home, while also reflecting the volatile, heated emotions of the characters caught in this deadly domestic situation.

• heat wave
• temperature
• emotional intensity
• atmosphere