Breaking and Entering (2018) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set in London, primarily in the Kings Cross area. The story contrasts the sleek, modern office towers where Will works with the densely populated, cramped streets where immigrant families like Miro and Amira live. This urban setting highlights the stark divide between professional London and the diverse, working-class communities surrounding it.

• london
• kings cross
• urban setting
• modern city
• diverse communities

The events occur in contemporary London during the early 21st century. This time period reflects a London undergoing rapid transformation with new developments in areas like Kings Cross, while also capturing the complexities of modern urban life, including office work, nightlife, and evolving family dynamics.

• contemporary london
• early 21st century
• modern era
• urban london

The film explores belonging as something earned through actions and care rather than birthright alone. Will's emotional distance from his family tests the boundaries of loyalty, while Miro's refugee background adds pressure to what counts as home and trust. The story suggests that true belonging comes from genuine connection and responsibility to others.

• belonging
• home
• family
• loyalty
• refugee
• trust
• identity

Will faces a clash between professional duty and personal empathy as he becomes entangled with Amira and the burglary situation. His growing connection to Amira forces him to choose between his obligations as a citizen and his emerging emotional bonds. The decision he makes reveals his true character and tests his values under pressure.

• moral dilemma
• choice
• duty
• honesty
• responsibility
• values

The burglary plot exposes vulnerabilities beneath London's polished surface. Miro's acrobatic skills enable criminal entry into offices, highlighting both the ingenuity and desperation of those excluded from the professional world. The film juxtaposes architectural sophistication with human fragility, showing how crime intersects with intimate lives and reveals class tensions.

• urban crime
• class tensions
• burglary
• security
• poverty
• inequality

Will Francis is a landscape architect living in London whose routine life feels hollow despite his professional success. He is observant and capable of deep empathy but remains emotionally distant from his girlfriend Liv and her daughter Bea. His growing curiosity about Amira and Miro pulls him into a moral gray area, forcing him to confront his own values.

• will francis
• landscape architect
• empathy
• emotional distance
• moral conflict

Mirsad, nicknamed Miro, is a 15-year-old Bosnian refugee and traceur with exceptional acrobatic skills. His background as a Bosnian Muslim growing up between two worlds, with his mother Amira in London, makes him both dangerous and vulnerable. His skills enable the burglars to enter buildings, adding both physical danger and a human face to the crime.

• miro
• mirsad
• refugee
• bosnian
• traceur
• acrobatic skills
• immigrant

Amira is Miro's Bosnian Muslim mother who works as a seamstress in London. She represents immigrant resilience and hardship, providing insight into the struggles faced by refugees building new lives. Her modest existence and her protective relationship with Miro deepen the film's emotional stakes and highlight the challenges of raising a teenager caught between two cultures.

• amira
• seamstress
• mother
• bosnian
• immigrant
• refugee
• hardship

Bea is Liv's 14-year-old daughter and Will's stepdaughter, who is autistic. She has irregular sleep and eating patterns and displays a fascination with somersaults and gymnastics. Her unique needs and world set her apart from the adults' concerns, yet her challenges serve as a central strain on Will and Liv's relationship, testing their ability to connect as a family.

• bea
• autistic
• teenager
• family
• dynamics
• care

Liv is Will's Swedish-American girlfriend and Bea's mother. She is caring but increasingly overwhelmed by Bea's irregular behavior and the strain it places on their relationship. She seeks support through counseling, hoping to rebuild trust with both Bea and Will as their family dynamic becomes more complicated.

• liv
• girlfriend
• mother
• counseling
• family
• relationship strain

Through Miro and Amira, the film portrays the refugee experience as one of both vulnerability and resilience. Miro's Bosnian Muslim background and his mother's status as a seamstress illustrate the challenges of immigrant families navigating a new country. Their story adds emotional weight and highlights themes of belonging, trust, and the pressure of building a home far from one's original country.

• refugee
• immigrant
• bosnia
• displacement
• resilience
• new life