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Characters & Themes

Lavender (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 92 min · English
JustWatch #7,204 18
Directed by
Ed Gass-Donnelly

A young man becomes entangled in the complicated relationship of an older couple. Drawn to their dynamic, he finds himself at the center of a web of desire and hidden truths. As he grows closer to them, he must confront the simmering tensions and navigate a landscape of deceit and unspoken desires that threaten to unravel everything.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (7)
  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 Lavender
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Lavender (2017)

Where can you watch Lavender? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla and Kanopy: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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7 main characters · contains spoilers

Lavender Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Lavender (2017), 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.

  • Jane

    A photographer who captures abandoned farmhouses and struggles with memory lapses tied to a childhood tragedy. In 2010, she runs a studio and faces a strained marriage to Alan while seeking to recover the truth about her family’s massacre. Her journey to uncover what happened in 1985 drives the plot and leads her to confront the 'monster' at the heart of her family’s past.

    • 🧠 memory
    • 📷 photographer
    • 💔 marriage strain
    • 🕯️ mystery
  • Patrick

    Jane's uncle and the disturbing figure at the center of the tragedy. He presents a calm, familiar exterior while concealing violent predation, which culminates in the family’s destruction. His actions create the haunting atmosphere of the house and propel Jane toward confronting the past.

    • 😈 predator
    • 🗝️ secrets
    • 🩸 abuse
  • Liam

    A hospital psychiatrist in the present who also appears as Jane's father in the backstory, blurring professional and familial roles. He guides Jane toward confronting memories and the spirits linked to the farmhouse. He dies during the 1985 incident, a twist that deepens the narrative’s mystery.

    • 🧠 psychologist
    • 👨‍👧 father figure
    • 🕊️ memory link
  • Susie

    Jane’s younger sister who dies in the 1985 massacre. She appears as a guiding spirit, urging Jane to uncover the truth. Her memory connects the living to the past and anchors the emotional core of the film.

    • 👧 sister
    • 👻 ghost
    • 🫁 memory hint
  • Jennifer

    Jane and Susie’s mother, depicted in the past as the antiques store clerk who is tied to the murder scene. Her death becomes part of the trauma haunting Jane, shaping her perception of the family’s history.

    • 👩 mother
    • 🗝️ memory fragment
    • 🕵️ mystery
  • Alice

    Jane and Alan’s young daughter, who experiences fear and asthma during the haunting. She becomes a catalyst for Jane’s actions to protect her family and confront the danger at Patrick’s farm.

    • 👶 daughter
    • 🫁 asthma trigger
    • 🛡️ protection
  • Alan

    Jane’s husband in the present, whose relationship with Jane is strained by her memory lapses and the family’s danger. He helps protect Alice and participates in the confrontation with Patrick in the climax.

    • 👨 husband
    • 🛡️ protector
    • 💞 relationship strain

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:52

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Setting

Where and When Does Lavender Take Place?

The setting of Lavender (2017): 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

1985 and 2010s

The film alternates between a deadly event in 1985 and the 2010s, where Jane runs a photography studio and contends with memory lapses. The 1985 tragedy marks the origin of the haunting, while the 2010s scenes explore Jane’s gradual access to buried truths. The contrast between these periods drives the narrative and shapes the emotional arc. The timeline structure uses the past to illuminate the present.

Location

Farmhouse and surrounding farmstead, rural town with an antiques store and hospital

The story centers on a remote farmhouse and its surrounding farmstead, a setting that anchors the mystery across decades. It also visits a nearby rural town with an antiques store and a hospital, showing how everyday places become stages for memory and conflict. The location shifts between the 1985 massacre and present-day scenes, with the house acting as the focal point for revelations.

  • 🏡 Farmhouse
  • 🗺️ Rural setting
  • 🕰️ Timelines intertwined

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:52

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3 major themes

Lavender Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Lavender (2017) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Memory

    Memory acts as both guide and trap as Jane uncovers suppressed events surrounding her family’s death. The story uses shifting timelines to reveal how memories can distort or illuminate truth. Recovered fragments redefine who is responsible and why the tragedy occurred. The search for memory becomes a path to healing for the living and release for the departed.

  • Secrets

    Hidden family histories unfold through fragmented clues and withheld truths. The discovery of past abuse and family roles reshapes Jane’s identity and her understanding of what happened. The setting of the house serves as a repository for these long-buried secrets. The exposure of secrets tests loyalties and exposes the darkest impulses within a family.

  • Haunting

    Spirits of the murdered family inhabit the house, guiding Jane toward the truth. The haunting functions as a symbol of unresolved guilt and the need for acknowledgment rather than mere avoidance. The real menace is human, embodied by Patrick, whose acts trigger supernatural consequences. The ending frames the haunting as a catalyst for justice and closure.

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:52

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Character & theme questions

Lavender Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Lavender (2017): 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 the story primarily set and why is the location significant

The story centers on a remote farmhouse and its surrounding farmstead, which serves as the focal point for the mystery spanning decades. This isolated rural setting also includes a nearby town with an antiques store and a hospital, places that become stages for memory and conflict. The house itself acts as a repository for buried secrets, anchoring the emotional and supernatural elements of the narrative.

Foreshadowing: The farmhouse's remote location is established early, emphasizing both its isolation and its significance to the family's tragic history.

  • farmhouse
  • rural setting
  • haunted house
  • location
Q2

What time periods does the film explore

The film alternates between 1985, when a deadly massacre occurred, and the 2010s, where Jane runs a photography studio and grapples with memory lapses. The 1985 tragedy serves as the origin of the haunting, while the present-day scenes show Jane's gradual access to buried truths about her family. This dual timeline structure uses the past to illuminate the present.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes establish the contrast between time periods, hinting at the connection between past trauma and current events.

  • 1985
  • 2010s
  • dual timeline
  • past and present
Q3

How does memory function as a theme in the movie

Memory acts as both guide and trap throughout the story as Jane uncovers suppressed events surrounding her family's death. The shifting timelines reveal how memories can distort or illuminate truth, with recovered fragments redefining who is responsible and why the tragedy occurred. The search for memory becomes a path to healing for the living and release for the departed.

Foreshadowing: Jane's memory lapses are introduced early, signaling that her inability to recall the past is central to the mystery.

  • memory
  • suppressed memories
  • trauma
  • healing
Q4

What role do secrets play in the story's family dynamics

Hidden family histories unfold through fragmented clues and withheld truths, reshaping Jane's identity and understanding of what happened to her family. The discovery of past abuse and family roles fundamentally alters how Jane sees her relatives. The setting of the house serves as a repository for these long-buried secrets, and their exposure tests loyalties while exposing the darkest impulses within the family.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes hint at withheld information, suggesting that the family's public narrative differs from what actually occurred.

  • secrets
  • family secrets
  • hidden past
  • abuse
Q5

What does the haunting represent thematically

The spirits of the murdered family inhabit the house, guiding Jane toward the truth and functioning as a symbol of unresolved guilt and the need for acknowledgment. The real menace is human, embodied by Patrick, whose acts trigger supernatural consequences. The ending frames the haunting as a catalyst for justice and closure rather than mere fear.

Foreshadowing: Supernatural occurrences begin shortly after Jane returns to the farmhouse, aligning with her growing awareness of the truth.

  • haunting
  • spirits
  • ghosts
  • supernatural
  • justice
Q6

Who is Jane and what drives her journey

Jane is a photographer who captures abandoned farmhouses and struggles with memory lapses tied to a childhood tragedy. In the present, she runs a studio while facing a strained marriage to Alan and seeking to recover the truth about her family's massacre. Her journey to uncover what happened in 1985 drives the plot and leads her to confront the dark secrets at the heart of her family's past.

Foreshadowing: Jane's profession photographing abandoned spaces mirrors her psychological exploration of abandoned family history.

  • jane
  • protagonist
  • photographer
  • memory lapses
Q7

Who is Patrick and why is he central to the story

Patrick is Jane's uncle and the disturbing figure at the center of the family's tragedy. He presents a calm, familiar exterior while concealing violent predation that culminated in the family's destruction. His actions create the haunting atmosphere of the house and propel Jane toward confronting the past, making him the human embodiment of the film's threat.

Foreshadowing: Patrick's presence early in the narrative carries an unsettling quality that hints at his true nature.

  • patrick
  • uncle
  • killer
  • antagonist
  • predator
Q8

What is Liam's role in the story

Liam appears as a hospital psychiatrist in the present who also played Jane's father in the backstory, blurring professional and familial roles. He guides Jane toward confronting memories and the spirits linked to the farmhouse. His death during the 1985 incident serves as a pivotal twist that deepens the narrative's mystery and emotional weight.

Foreshadowing: Liam's professional involvement with Jane's memory treatment hints at a deeper personal connection revealed later.

  • liam
  • psychiatrist
  • father
  • guide
Q9

What purpose do the spirits serve in the narrative

Susie, Jane's younger sister who died in the 1985 massacre, appears as a guiding spirit who urges Jane to uncover the truth. The spirits of the murdered family collectively guide Jane toward revelations, connecting the living to the past and anchoring the emotional core of the film. Their presence transforms the haunting from pure horror into a quest for truth and justice.

Foreshadowing: Spirit manifestations become more frequent and guiding as Jane gets closer to discovering the truth.

  • spirits
  • Susie
  • ghosts
  • guidance
  • closure
Q10

How does the rural setting influence the film's atmosphere

The isolated farmhouse and rural surroundings create an atmosphere of seclusion that amplifies both the supernatural elements and the psychological tension. The contrast between the quiet, everyday rural town and the horror within the family home underscores the theme of hidden darkness beneath ordinary surfaces. This setting makes the discovery of family secrets feel more jarring and the haunting more unsettling.

Foreshadowing: The initial peaceful rural imagery establishes an ironic contrast to the violence that occurred there.

  • rural
  • isolation
  • atmosphere
  • setting

Movie threads

More Movies Like Lavender, by Mood & Story

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

Movies about confronting hidden trauma like Lavender

Protagonists haunted by repressed memories must confront a dark history. For viewers seeking movies like Lavender, this list features psychological dramas and thrillers where characters must uncover a traumatic past. These stories share a heavy emotional weight, a dark tone, and a steady, suspenseful pace as buried secrets and repressed memories come to light.

  • haunting
  • unsettling
  • psychological
  • melancholic
  • gripping
  • atmospheric
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, suspenseful
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a protagonist, often experiencing unsettling fragments of memory or persistent anxiety, who is compelled to investigate their own history. The story methodically peels back layers of denial and concealment, leading to a climactic revelation of a formative, painful event—such as a crime, loss, or abuse—that they must now integrate into their identity.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on the psychological process of uncovering and facing trauma. They create a similar viewing experience defined by suspense, melancholy, and a deep exploration of memory, often featuring investigative elements and a pervasive sense of dread about what will be found.

Atmospheric psychological thrillers with a vibe like Lavender

Stories where the environment itself feels charged with unease and threat. If you liked the haunting, oppressive vibe of Lavender, explore these movies that master atmospheric psychological dread. These selections prioritize mood over action, building suspense through setting, sound, and a steady unraveling of sanity, perfect for fans of slow-burn tension.

  • atmospheric
  • oppressive
  • suspenseful
  • uneasy
  • haunting
  • gripping
  • Tone: oppressive, tense, dark
  • Pacing: slow burn, steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative often unfolds in a confined or significant location that holds emotional weight. The plot is driven less by external action and more by internal psychological unraveling and the discovery of hidden truths. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the atmosphere to weigh heavily on both the characters and the audience, leading to revelations that feel inevitable within the grim context.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core approach to storytelling: the creation of an immersive, unsettling mood is paramount. They prioritize a consistent tone of dread and suspense, using cinematic techniques to make the viewer feel the psychological pressure the characters experience.

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Every angle

Lavender (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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

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