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Dear David (2023) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Dear David (2023) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 1 h 34 m · English
Echo score 34
JustWatch #24,902 7
Directed by
John McPhail
Starring
Justin Long, Rachel Wilson, Augustus Prew, Andrea Bang, Ethan Hwang, Tricia Black

A comic artist finds his life spiraling out of control as he’s relentlessly targeted by online trolls. His sense of reality fractures when a disturbing rocking chair mysteriously appears in his apartment, coinciding with episodes of sleep paralysis. As the unsettling occurrences escalate, his increasingly frantic social media posts become a desperate plea for assistance. He begins to believe he's being haunted by the vengeful spirit of Dear David, who seems determined to exact a dark and personal revenge.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (6)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Dear David
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Dear David (2023)

Where can you watch Dear David? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Netflix and Netflix Standard: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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6 main characters · contains spoilers

Dear David Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Dear David (2023), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Adam Ellis

    played by Augustus Prew

    Adam is a determined content creator whose journey of self-discovery leads him to confront the haunting specter of David. His relentless pursuit of truth and understanding showcases both his courage and vulnerability as he navigates a chaotic interplay between the real world and his nightmares. Driven by a mix of ambition and obsession, Adam struggles with his sanity amidst the online chaos.

    • 🌐 Content Creator
    • 😟 Obsession
    • 💔 Vulnerability
  • Bryce

    played by Justin Long

    Bryce is Adam's boss, representing the pressure of the content creation world. His insistence on producing captivating content often undermines Adam's mental stability. Initially appearing as a source of professional guidance, Bryce's actions contribute to the mounting chaos that surrounds Adam, ultimately complicating their professional relationship.

    • 👨‍💼 Authority
    • 📈 Ambition
  • Evelyn

    played by Andrea Bang

    Evelyn is a caring acquaintance who attempts to offer support to Adam as he descends into obsession. Despite her good intentions, her frustrations with Adam's fixation lead to tensions in their friendship. Her character reflects the challenges of being a supportive figure amid someone else's turmoil and the inevitable strain such a dynamic can impose.

    • 💖 Supportive
    • 🤯 Frustration
  • Linda

    played by Rachel Wilson

    Linda emerges as a fierce figure in the face of David's malevolence. Her decisive actions against David illustrate a protective instinct, showcasing her resilience. As a character, Linda challenges the notion of victimhood by actively taking a stand against the digital tormentor, emphasizing the importance of agency in confronting online harassment.

    • 🛡️ Protector
    • 🚫 Confrontation
  • Kyle

    played by René Escobar Jr.

    Kyle serves as a sympathetic confidant to Adam, striving to anchor him in a reality often distorted by fear and obsession. He represents the voice of reason, cautioning Adam about the implications of his quest. However, his frustrations about Adam's detachment signal the strain that exists in their bond as Adam delves deeper into the dark mysteries of David.

    • 🤝 Support
    • 💭 Reason
  • David

    David, the central figure of torment, is both a victim and a catalyst for chaos. His past experiences of bullying propel him into a posthumous quest for revenge that haunts Adam. David embodies the consequences of unresolved trauma, illustrating how the cycle of pain can inflict profound repercussions on both the victim and the perpetrator.

    • 👤 Haunting
    • ⚔️ Malevolence

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:31

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Setting

Where and When Does Dear David Take Place?

The setting of Dear David (2023): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

1996, 2017

The events of the movie are split between the fall of 1996, when David faces bullying, and the year 2017, when Adam's journey unfolds. The late '90s marked the rise of the internet, introducing instant messaging as a new form of communication, while 2017 saw an escalation in online trolling and the digital age's darker side.

Location

BuzzFeed office, hospital

The BuzzFeed office serves as the central point where Adam works and interacts with his colleagues while navigating the pressures of creating engaging content. The hospital represents a crucial turning point in the story, symbolizing both physical and metaphorical healing as Adam confronts the mysterious death of David, enveloping him in a haunting enigma.

  • 🏢 Office
  • 🏥 Hospital

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:31

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3 major themes

Dear David Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Dear David (2023) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Paranoia

    Paranoia permeates the narrative as Adam becomes increasingly haunted by David's presence and the consequences of his past actions. His descent into obsession reflects the mental toll of confronting online bullies and the consequences of interference in digital lives. This theme resonates with the dangers of losing touch with reality in a hyper-connected world.

  • Revenge

    Revenge is a driving force for both David and Adam, encapsulating their struggles with the pain inflicted by others. Adam’s quest for understanding evolves into a need for retaliation against David, blurring the lines between victim and aggressor. This theme underscores the destructive cycle of seeking vengeance and its effects on the human psyche.

  • Existential Crisis

    The movie explores existential themes as Adam grapples with the implications of mortal existence and the virtual self. The online interactions with David prompt a reflection on life, death, and the nature of reality, culminating in profound questions about what it means to truly 'exist' in both the physical and digital realms.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:31

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Character & theme questions

Dear David Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Dear David (2023): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is Dear David set?

The movie primarily takes place in a BuzzFeed-style digital media office where Adam works as a content creator, and a hospital that serves as a turning point in the story. These two locations represent Adam's professional world and the site where he confronts the mystery surrounding David's death.

  • setting
  • locations
  • office
  • hospital
  • buzzfeed
Q2

What time period does Dear David take place in?

The story unfolds across two time periods: 1996 when David experiences bullying, and 2017 when Adam becomes haunted. The late '90s represent the early internet era with instant messaging, while 2017 depicts the escalation of online trolling in the digital age.

  • time period
  • 1996
  • 2017
  • era
  • late 90s
Q3

How does Dear David explore paranoia?

Paranoia permeates the narrative as Adam becomes increasingly haunted by David's presence and the consequences of his past actions. His descent into obsession reflects the mental toll of confronting online bullies, capturing how digital harassment can erode someone's grip on reality in a hyper-connected world.

  • paranoia
  • obsession
  • mental health
  • online harassment
Q4

What role does revenge play in Dear David?

Revenge drives both David and Adam throughout the story. David's quest for revenge stems from unresolved trauma from bullying, while Adam's pursuit of understanding transforms into a need for retaliation. The film illustrates how this destructive cycle between victim and aggressor profoundly affects the human psyche.

  • revenge
  • cycle of violence
  • trauma
  • bullying
Q5

How does Dear David handle existential themes?

The movie explores existential themes as Adam grapples with mortality and his virtual interactions with David. These encounters prompt reflection on life, death, and reality itself, raising questions about what it means to truly exist in both physical and digital realms.

  • existentialism
  • reality
  • digital identity
  • mortality
Q6

Who is Adam Ellis in Dear David?

Adam Ellis is the protagonist, a content creator portrayed by Augustus Prew, whose journey of self-discovery leads him to confront the haunting specter of David. Driven by ambition and obsession, he struggles with sanity as he navigates the chaos between his real world and nightmares.

  • adam ellis
  • protagonist
  • content creator
  • augustus prew
Q7

Who is David in Dear David?

David is the central figure of torment who was bullied in 1996 and now seeks posthumous revenge against Adam. He embodies the consequences of unresolved trauma, showing how pain inflicted in the past can ripple forward and impact both victim and perpetrator.

  • david
  • bullied boy
  • antagonist
  • spirit
Q8

What role does Bryce play in the movie?

Bryce, played by Justin Long, is Adam's boss at the BuzzFeed-style office who represents the pressures of content creation. His demands for engaging content often undermine Adam's mental stability, ultimately complicating their professional relationship as events escalate.

  • bryce
  • justin long
  • boss
  • colleague
  • work pressure
Q9

Who is Linda in Dear David?

Linda, portrayed by Rachel Wilson, emerges as a fierce protective figure against David's malevolence. She actively takes a stand against the digital tormentor, challenging victimhood by demonstrating agency in confronting online harassment.

  • linda
  • rachel wilson
  • protector
  • ally
Q10

Who is Kyle in Dear David?

Kyle, played by René Escobar Jr., serves as Adam's sympathetic confidant who tries to anchor him in reality. He represents the voice of reason, cautioning Adam about the implications of his quest, though his frustrations grow as Adam detaches from reality.

  • kyle
  • friend
  • confidant
  • voice of reason
Q11

How does Dear David blend digital and physical reality?

The movie explores the blurred boundaries between online and offline existence through David's haunting, both as a digital presence and physical spirit. This reflects modern anxieties about digital identity, online harassment, and how virtual interactions can have real-world psychological consequences.

  • digital world
  • online harassment
  • reality vs virtual
  • internet culture

Movie threads

More Movies Like Dear David, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Dear David tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Digital hauntings and psychological collapse like in Dear David

Horror that weaponizes technology to fracture a character's grip on reality. Find movies like Dear David where supernatural horror is intricately linked with modern technology. If you enjoyed the theme of an online presence turning into a real-world nightmare, these stories explore similar ideas of digital identity, cyberbullying, and the terrifying erosion of reality through a screen.

  • paranoid
  • unsettling
  • anxious
  • claustrophobic
  • nightmarish
  • techno-horror
  • Tone: tense, paranoid
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically follows a protagonist, often an artist or someone with a significant online footprint, who becomes the target of a malevolent force that uses technology as its conduit. The story unfolds through escalating, inexplicable events that challenge objective reality, forcing the character to question their own mind while their public and private lives collapse simultaneously.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a core premise: a supernatural threat that is intrinsically tied to the digital age. They create a unique sense of dread by making the familiar tools of modern life—computers, phones, social media—into sources of unimaginable terror, focusing on psychological unravelling in a hyper-connected world.

Unreliable narrators in supernatural terror like in Dear David

Stories where the threat could be a ghost or a breaking mind. If you liked the ambiguous tension in Dear David, where sleep paralysis and mental deterioration make the haunting questionable, these movies deliver a similar experience. They feature protagonists on the edge, leaving you to wonder if the horror is supernatural or a severe psychological breakdown.

  • ambiguous
  • psychological
  • unsettling
  • paranoid
  • anxious
  • mind-bending
  • Tone: tense, uncertain, psychologically complex
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative journey is one of escalating doubt, both for the protagonist and the audience. The story presents events that could be interpreted as paranormal or as symptoms of trauma, stress, or mental illness. Key supporting characters often serve as voices of skepticism, deepening the protagonist's isolation. The plot structure meticulously balances evidence for both possibilities until a climax that may or may not provide a definitive answer.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they prioritize psychological ambiguity over clear-cut supernatural explanations. They share a specific mood of profound uncertainty and paranoia, making the viewing experience intensely subjective and mentally engaging. The similarity lies in the constant questioning of reality itself.

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Movies Like Dear David

Similar movies to Dear David: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

Dear David (2023) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Dear David in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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