Harpoon (2019) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Harpoon takes place on a luxury yacht floating in the open sea. The setting begins as a wealthy, leisure-filled environment but quickly transforms into a claustrophobic trap as supplies dwindle and tensions rise among the three stranded characters.

Foreshadowing: The yacht's initial luxury and abundance contrast sharply with the eventual scarcity that drives the characters to desperate measures.

• luxury yacht setting
• open sea
• yacht location

Harpoon is set in the present day. The film features contemporary technology like smartphones and text messages, which heighten the immediacy and isolation of the characters' predicament on the yacht.

• present day
• modern setting
• contemporary era

Harpoon explores three interconnected themes: Survival, as the characters face brutal choices with dwindling water, food, and a failing engine; Betrayal, as affairs, lies, and hidden murders surface to fracture trust; and Moral Dilemma, where the characters must decide who lives and dies, forcing ethics to dissolve under extreme pressure.

• survival
• betrayal
• moral dilemma
• themes

The film centers on three main characters: Jonah, a desperate and cunning young man willing to bend rules for survival; Richard, a wealthy and volatile man whose infidelity and temper escalate the crisis; and Sasha, a practical nurse who navigates loyalty and fear while taking drastic action to escape. A narrator voiced by Brett Gelman provides observational commentary throughout.

• jonah
• richard
• sasha
• main characters
• cast

Jonah is portrayed by Munro Chambers as a desperate and cunning young man whose willingness to bend or break rules under pressure drives the plot. He admits to murder to keep the trio together and actively engineers events to ensure his own survival, even while feigning concern for the others.

Foreshadowing: Jonah's early willingness to confess to murder hints at his capacity for manipulation and self-preservation.

• jonah
• munro chambers
• character motivation

Sasha, played by Emily Tyra, is a nurse with a practical, survival-minded outlook. She navigates complex dynamics of loyalty, desire, and fear while blurring the lines between victim and conspirator. She ultimately takes drastic action to escape and attempts to reclaim control of the situation.

• sasha
• emily tyra
• nurse character

Richard, portrayed by Christopher Gray, is a wealthy and volatile character who uses intimidation to control the dynamics aboard the yacht. His infidelity and ruthless temper escalate the crisis, making him a direct threat to the others as the situation spirals out of control.

Foreshadowing: Richard's early displays of wealth and dominance set the stage for his volatile reactions when control slips away.

• richard
• christopher gray
• wealthy character

The luxury yacht represents wealth and privilege that abruptly collapses into a fight for survival. Its enclosed decks and cramped spaces heighten tension as the trio fractures under pressure, turning a symbol of leisure into a prison where brutal choices become inevitable.

Foreshadowing: The initial scenes of luxury and abundance foreshadow the stark contrast when resources dwindle and moral boundaries erode.

• yacht symbolism
• wealth
• trapped setting

Harpoon blends horror and comedy in a consistently dark tone. The film features bleak comedy as the characters' morality disintegrates under extreme pressure. The intensity remains high due to constant threat of violence among trapped friends, resulting in a cynical and grim worldview.

• dark comedy
• horror comedy
• tone
• genre

Betrayal fractures trust among the trio as affairs, lies, and hidden killings surface. Each character's secret reframes what they owe to one another, turning loyalty into a weapon. The revelation of past murders heightens the sense that no one is trustworthy, driving the escalating horror.

• betrayal
• trust
• secrets
• lies