Loving Adults

A contractor whose outward calm masks escalating anger and controlling tendencies. His affair with Xenia and fear of losing his family drive a dangerous brinkmanship that culminates in violence. He meticulously plans alibis while concealing the depth of his insecurity.

A devoted wife who appears stable and loving while orchestrating a calculated plan to protect herself from abandonment. She uses manipulation and staged authenticity to maintain control over the marriage and the surrounding narrative. Her actions reveal a practical, coldly rational streak under a veneer of domestic calm.

Christian's contractor friend and business associate, whose involvement tests the boundaries of loyalty as the couple's deceit tightens. He becomes a potential witness and a pawn in the couple's attempts at safeguarding their marriage. His presence underscores the way fear reshapes relationships.

A coworker who becomes the focal point of Christian's affair, ultimately a victim in the couple's attempt to cover their tracks. Her presence provokes, and then heightens, suspicion, forcing the couple into a deadly confluence of lies. Her death catalyzes the unraveling of every alibi and motive.

Christian's friend who is co-opted into the plan to create a convincing alibi. He embodies the risk of collateral damage when ordinary loyalties collide with a couple's desperate calculations. His role exposes how easily people are drawn into a dangerous deception.

The couple's son, a symbol of innocence and the stakes of keeping up appearances. His remission and nearing high school graduation anchor the family in a fragile, hopeful future, making their fear of exposure all the more potent.

The framing narrator and father figure who guides the audience through the couple's unraveling; his pursuit of truth introduces a counterpoint to the couple's fantasy of control. He embodies duty, skepticism, and the moral weight of decision-making in a high-stakes investigation.