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Retake (2017) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Retake (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 98 min · English
Directed by
Nick Corporon

An ambitious entrepreneur and a resourceful hustler travel from San Francisco to the Grand Canyon, attempting to reconstruct a man’s difficult history. During their journey, the boundaries of truth and illusion become increasingly unclear. They confront themes of deception, personal growth, and manipulation, ultimately seeking a path toward understanding and redemption.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (4)
  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 Retake
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Retake (2017)

Where can you watch Retake? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Fawesome, Fandango at Home Free and Plex: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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4 main characters · contains spoilers

Retake Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Retake (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.

  • Jonathan (Tuc Watkins)

    A mysterious, emotionally guarded man who hires strangers to fill an empty space. His journey on the road reveals a longing for living in the present rather than always chasing the future, and a willingness to open up to possibility even as he hides from pain.

    • 🧭 introspective
    • 💔 guarded
    • 🕯️ reflective
  • Brandon / Adam (Devon Graye)

    The unnamed hustler who becomes Jonathan’s surrogate lover and catalyst for change. He embodies risk, desire, and a longing for belonging, and his own backstory with being kicked out as a teen informs his empathy for Jonathan’s vulnerability.

    • 🔥 seduction
    • 🧭 dual-identity
    • 🗺️ road-wanderer
  • James (Derek Phillips)

    A adventurous straight man who connects with the duo in a bar, demonstrating how desire can cross boundaries. His presence helps push Jonathan toward loosening up and embracing a momentary freedom during the night.

    • 💬 social
    • 🫶 energy
    • 🍺 bar scene
  • Iris (Sydelle Noel)

    A woman who appears with James and becomes part of the night's mischief, helping extend the trip’s social circle. She catalyzes Jonathan’s change in mood and his willingness to dance and be seen.

    • 🎶 music
    • 💃 dance
    • 🫶 companionship

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:57

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Setting

Where and When Does Retake Take Place?

The setting of Retake (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

Location

San Francisco, Grand Canyon, American Southwest

The story begins in San Francisco, where Jonathan seeks companionship amid a bustling urban backdrop. The journey then unfolds across the American Southwest, with road-side motels, bars, and open highways framing the evolving relationship. The changing landscapes mirror Jonathan’s inner quest for presence, connection, and a new sense of self.

  • 🎭 Drama
  • 🏙️ Urban
  • 🏜️ Desert road
  • 🧭 Self-discovery

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:57

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3 major themes

Retake Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

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

  • Identity and Self-Discovery

    The road trip becomes a laboratory for testing identities as Jonathan and the escort adopt personas and mirror each other’s desires. The act of wearing Brandon’s clothes and habits blurs who they are, highlighting how much of us is crafted for others. The fake journey exposes how memory can blur the lines between past and present, forcing a reckoning with one’s true self.

  • Memory and Loss

    Brandon’s death and the antique polaroids frame a haunting memory that the present journey tries to relive. The film uses props like tapes and photos to blur reality, suggesting that longing can construct a convincing but hollow substitute for the past. The revelation of the past’s fragility allows the characters to acknowledge pain without being consumed by it.

  • Connection and Authenticity

    A genuine bond forms as deception and performance crumble under vulnerability. The road trip becomes a catalyst for admitting what each wants and fears, pushing them toward honest, painful clarity. The central relationship ultimately asks whether real connection can survive truth, and whether love can endure beyond a staged memory.

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:57

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Character & theme questions

Retake Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Retake (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 does the movie take place?

Retake begins in San Francisco and follows a road trip across the American Southwest, passing through roadside motels, bars, and open highways before arriving at the Grand Canyon. The changing landscapes reflect the protagonist's inner journey toward self-discovery.

  • san francisco
  • grand canyon
  • american southwest
  • road trip
  • setting
Q2

What role does the road trip play in the story?

The road trip serves as both literal journey and metaphor for self-discovery. As Jonathan travels from the urban bustle of San Francisco to the vast openness of the Grand Canyon, the changing scenery mirrors his emotional transformation from guarding himself to opening up to connection.

  • road trip
  • journey
  • self-discovery
  • character growth
Q3

What does Identity and Self-Discovery mean in Retake?

The film explores how people craft identities for others, showing the escorts adopting Brandon's clothes and habits to play his role. This persona-swapping reveals how much of who we are gets shaped by what we show others, and the journey forces Jonathan to confront who he really is versus who he has been pretending to be.

  • identity
  • self-discovery
  • persona
  • deception
  • authenticity
Q4

What does Memory and Loss mean in Retake?

Brandon's death haunts the film through antique polaroids and tapes that blur reality with recollection. The journey attempts to recreate a painful past, showing how longing can build convincing but hollow substitutes for what we've lost. The characters learn to acknowledge grief without being consumed by it.

  • memory
  • loss
  • grief
  • past
  • polaroids
  • Brandon
Q5

What does Connection and Authenticity mean in Retake?

As deception crumbles, genuine vulnerability replaces performance. The road trip pushes both characters toward honest, painful clarity about what they want and fear. The film asks whether real connection can survive the truth and whether love can transcend a staged memory.

  • connection
  • authenticity
  • vulnerability
  • love
  • truth
  • relationship
Q6

Who is Jonathan in the movie?

Jonathan is a mysterious, emotionally guarded man played by Tuc Watkins who hires strangers to fill an empty space in his life. Throughout the journey, he reveals a longing to live in the present rather than chase the future, gradually opening up to vulnerability despite his tendency to hide from pain.

  • jonathan
  • tuc watkins
  • protagonist
  • emotional guard
  • vulnerability
Q7

Who is Brandon or Adam in Retake?

Brandon (also called Adam) is the hustler played by Devon Graye who becomes Jonathan's surrogate lover and catalyst for change. He embodies risk and desire while harboring a longing for belonging. His own history of being kicked out as a teen gives him deep empathy for Jonathan's vulnerabilities.

  • brandon
  • adam
  • devon graye
  • hustler
  • surrogate
  • catalyst
Q8

What is the relationship between Jonathan and Adam about?

Jonathan hires Adam to impersonate his deceased lover Brandon, but their road trip evolves into something real. As performance gives way to vulnerability, a genuine bond forms between them. The relationship becomes the emotional core of the film, exploring whether authentic connection can emerge from deception.

  • jonathan
  • adam
  • relationship
  • deception
  • authenticity
  • love
Q9

Who are James and Iris in Retake?

James is an adventurous straight man whom Jonathan and Adam meet at a bar, and Iris accompanies him. Their presence helps Jonathan loosen up and embrace momentary freedom. Together, they expand the trip's social circle and catalyze Jonathan's willingness to dance, be seen, and open up emotionally.

  • james
  • iris
  • supporting characters
  • bar scene
  • social circle
Q10

What is the emotional tone of Retake?

The film carries a bittersweet tone, balancing Jonathan's sadness and grief over loss with hopeful possibility represented by his connection with Adam. It focuses on quiet, character-driven moments of vulnerability and growth rather than dramatic action, creating an intimate emotional atmosphere.

  • bittersweet
  • tone
  • emotional
  • grief
  • hope
  • growth
Q11

What does the Grand Canyon represent in the film?

The Grand Canyon serves as the journey's destination and symbolic endpoint. Its vast, timeless landscape represents openness and possibility, contrasting with Jonathan's closed-off emotional state at the start. Arriving there marks his progress toward self-acceptance and readiness for new connection.

  • grand canyon
  • symbolism
  • destination
  • acceptance
  • openness

Movie threads

More Movies Like Retake, by Mood & Story

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

Movies about manufactured intimacy like Retake

Stories where relationships built on deception blur into genuine, transformative bonds. If you liked the complex dynamic in Retake, you'll appreciate these movies about relationships that start with a lie. Discover similar romance and drama stories where fabricated connections, often involving hired companions or role-playing, lead to genuine emotional transformation and bittersweet endings.

  • intimate
  • melancholic
  • yearning
  • vulnerable
  • reflective
  • complicated
  • Tone: bittersweet, intimate
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically begin with a clear transaction or deception that forms the basis of a relationship. As characters spend time together, often in isolated or intense situations, the boundaries between performance and reality dissolve. The central conflict arises from the revelation of the truth and the characters' struggle to reconcile their genuine feelings with the fabricated premise of their connection.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core fascination with the authenticity that can be found within inauthenticity. They balance a bittersweet tone with a steady, character-driven pace, focusing on the emotional complexity of relationships that defy simple labels and often conclude with a mix of loss and hopeful change.

Melancholic road trip movies like Retake

Quiet journeys through vast landscapes that mirror a search for inner peace. Looking for more movies like Retake? Explore this collection of melancholic road trip dramas. These films feature lonely characters on journeys of self-discovery, using the open road as a setting for intimate conversations, unresolved grief, and bittersweet emotional connections.

  • melancholic
  • lonely
  • reflective
  • yearning
  • dreamlike
  • introspective
  • Tone: melancholic, reflective
  • Pacing: steady, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows one or more characters who embark on a road trip not for pleasure, but as an escape or a deliberate attempt to confront a painful past. The confined space of the vehicle and the changing landscapes create a crucible for conversation and reflection. The journey's destination is often secondary to the emotional milestones reached along the way, culminating in an ending that is more about acceptance than a tidy resolution.

Why they belong together: These movies share a specific mood: a blend of melancholy and intimacy against a backdrop of travel. They prioritize character development over plot, using a steady pace to explore themes of loneliness and connection. The experience is defined by a reflective, sometimes dreamlike atmosphere and an emotionally resonant, if not entirely happy, conclusion.

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Movies Like Retake

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Every angle

Retake (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Retake 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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