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Role Model (2023) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Role Model (2023) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 98 mins · Slovene
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Directed by
Nejc Gazvoda
Starring
Matej Puc, Jure Henigman, Luka Cimprič, Marina Redžepović, Mojca Funkl, Špela Rozin

A lonely teenage boy of divorced parents and an alcoholic mother makes friends with a mysterious man who moves into the flat opposite his.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (8)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Every angle
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8 main characters · contains spoilers

Role Model Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Role Model (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.

  • Danny

    A jaded energy drink salesman who has grown cynical about his job. His impulsive involvement with Beth fractures his relationship, and he contemplates jail as a way out until Wheeler persuades him otherwise. Through mentoring Augie in LAIRE, he rediscovers purpose and fights to rebuild his life and love.

    • 🎭 Drama
    • 💼 Career Crisis
    • 🫶 Growth
  • Wheeler

    An enthusiastic, sometimes reckless promoter who loves the job but struggles with responsibility. He bonds with Ronnie and shares a surprising, gentle side as he helps the boy process abandonment. Wheeler learns to balance his dreams with accountability and loyalty.

    • 🎸 Music
    • 🧭 Loyalty
    • 💪 Resilience
  • Beth

    Danny's ex-partner and a lawyer who negotiates their community-service deal. She insists on separation but remains supportive of their growth, ultimately defending them in court and helping them secure a chance at redemption.

    • ⚖️ Law
    • 💖 Relationships
    • 🧭 Boundaries
  • Augie Farks

    A shy teen obsessed with a medieval LARPG called LAIRE. He bonds with Danny through shared fantasy until the group ostracizes him for being a liability; he ultimately triumphs in the game and earns renewed family support after a power struggle with the LAIRE king.

    • 🧒 Teen
    • 🗡️ Fantasy
    • 🧩 Imagination
  • King Argotron

    The LAIRE king who lies about Augie's fate to maintain control, leading to conflict and Augie's banishment from LAIRE. His power games catalyze the climax as Augie, Danny, and Wheeler redefine their place in the community.

    • 👑 Authority
    • 🗡️ Conflict
    • 🧭 Power
  • Ronnie Shields

    A rough-around-the-edges teen who has felt abandoned by his father and tests Wheeler's patience. His arc covers trust, forgiveness, and the impact of mentorship on a wounded youth.

    • 👦 Youth
    • 🧭 Loyalty
    • 💔 Abandonment
  • Gayle Sweeny

    Leader of Sturdy Wings and a recovering addict who guides the mentorship program. She forgives early missteps, champions the kids, and uses her authority to ease the mentors' legal troubles, showing the value of mentorship and accountability.

    • 🫶 Mentorship
    • 🧠 Authority
    • 💬 Communication
  • Sarah (Esplen)

    A hidden LAIRE player who uses the Esplen persona. She defeats Augie and later crowns a new queen-consort, shaping the game's dramatic turn while remaining a mysterious force behind the scenes.

    • 🕵️ Mystery
    • 👑 Power
    • 🕶️ Alter Ego

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:52

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Setting

Where and When Does Role Model Take Place?

The setting of Role Model (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

Location

High School, Sturdy Wings program site, LAIRE battlegrounds

Set primarily around a suburban high school and the Sturdy Wings mentorship program, the film contrasts everyday teen life with an imaginative fantasy world. The LAIRE gatherings morph ordinary spaces into battlegrounds of identity and belonging. The Minotaur promo truck and the program's events provide the backdrop for personal growth and second chances.

  • 🏫 High School
  • 🧭 Role-playing
  • 🤝 Mentorship

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:52

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3 major themes

Role Model Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

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

  • Mentorship

    A central thread follows Gayle's mentorship program and the mentors' evolving bonds with their assigned littles. Danny and Wheeler start with a careless, jaded outlook but learn empathy and responsibility as they invest in Ronnie and Augie. The film uses these relationships to explore healing and trust built through care.

  • Redemption

    The characters face legal trouble and personal failures, yet choose to strive for better behavior rather than retreating into jail. Beth's legal defense becomes a pivot for second chances, and the pair's effort to confront their past leads to reconciliation with Beth. The story suggests that accountability can transform difficult choices into a fresh start.

  • Belonging

    LAIRE offers an alternate home where marginalized kids can express themselves, leading to acceptance by peers and families. Augie and Ronnie find a sense of purpose in the fantasy country Xanthia, and Danny and Wheeler learn that family is built through shared passions and support. The film uses this space to explore identity, acceptance, and the power of community.

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:52

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Character & theme questions

Role Model Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Role Model (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

What is LAIRE and why is it important in the movie?

LAIRE is a medieval-style LARPG (live-action role-playing game) that serves as an alternate home for marginalized kids. It provides a space where characters like Augie and Ronnie can express themselves freely and find acceptance. For Danny and Wheeler, mentoring their 'littles' in LAIRE becomes the pathway through which they rediscover purpose and learn empathy, making the game central to the story's themes of belonging and personal growth.

  • laire
  • larpg
  • fantasy game
  • role playing
  • augie
  • mentorship
Q2

What are the main settings in the movie?

The film takes place primarily around a suburban high school and the Sturdy Wings mentorship program, contrasting everyday teen life with the imaginative fantasy world of LAIRE. The mentorship program's site and various LAIRE gathering locations serve as the backdrop for the characters' personal growth and second chances.

  • setting
  • locations
  • high school
  • suburb
  • sturdy wings
Q3

How does the mentorship theme develop in the movie?

The mentorship theme centers on Gayle's Sturdy Wings program, where mentors Danny and Wheeler are paired with troubled teens Augie and Ronnie. Both mentors start jaded and careless but gradually learn empathy and responsibility as they invest in their mentees. The film uses these relationships to explore how healing and trust are built through genuine care and shared experiences.

  • mentorship
  • gayle sweeny
  • sturdy wings
  • danny
  • wheeler
  • augie
  • ronnie
Q4

Who is Augie Farks and what is his role in the story?

Augie Farks is a shy teenager obsessed with the medieval LARPG LAIRE. He becomes Danny's mentee in the Sturdy Wings program, bonding through their shared fantasy world. His arc involves finding acceptance and purpose within LAIRE, ultimately triumphing in the game and earning renewed family support after confronting the LAIRE king's manipulative control.

  • augie farks
  • laire
  • shy teen
  • larpg
Q5

Who are Danny and Wheeler and how do their stories connect?

Danny is a jaded energy drink salesman who has grown cynical about his job, while Wheeler is an enthusiastic but reckless promoter who loves his work but struggles with responsibility. Both become mentors through the Sturdy Wings program, Danny mentoring Augie and Wheeler mentoring Ronnie. Through these relationships, they both learn accountability and purpose, with their parallel arcs exploring redemption and personal growth.

  • danny
  • wheeler
  • mentors
  • energy drink salesman
  • promoter
Q6

What is the Sturdy Wings mentorship program?

Sturdy Wings is a mentorship program led by Gayle Sweeny, a recovering addict who guides troubled teens and their mentors. The program pairs adult mentors with young people facing personal challenges, using activities like LAIRE to build connections. Gayle uses her authority to support both the kids and mentors, including helping Danny and Wheeler navigate their legal troubles.

  • sturdy wings
  • gayle sweeny
  • mentorship program
Q7

How does the theme of belonging play out in the movie?

Belonging is explored through LAIRE, which offers an alternate home where marginalized kids can express themselves and find acceptance. Augie and Ronnie discover purpose in the fantasy country Xanthia, while Danny and Wheeler learn that family is built through shared passions and support. The film shows how community and identity intersect, particularly for those who feel excluded in their everyday lives.

  • belonging
  • community
  • identity
  • acceptance
  • xanthia
  • laire
Q8

What does the movie say about redemption and second chances?

The film portrays redemption through characters facing legal trouble and personal failures who choose to strive for better behavior rather than giving up. Beth's legal defense becomes a pivot for second chances, and Danny and Wheeler's effort to confront their past leads to reconciliation. The story suggests that accountability can transform difficult choices into a fresh start, with the ending resolving their legal troubles positively.

  • redemption
  • second chances
  • accountability
  • legal troubles
  • beth
Q9

Who is King Argotron in LAIRE?

King Argotron is the ruler of LAIRE who lies about Augie's fate to maintain control over the game and its players. His power games create conflict that catalyzes the film's climax, as Augie, Danny, and Wheeler work together to challenge his authority and redefine their place in the LAIRE community. He represents the darker side of belonging, using control rather than acceptance.

  • king argotron
  • laire
  • power
  • control
  • conflict
Q10

Who is Gayle Sweeny and what role does she play?

Gayle Sweeny is the leader of the Sturdy Wings mentorship program and a recovering addict who guides both the mentors and their assigned 'littles.' She forgives early missteps, champions the kids, and uses her authority to help mentors like Danny and Wheeler navigate their legal troubles. Her character demonstrates how mentorship and accountability can help people rebuild their lives.

  • gayle sweeny
  • sturdy wings
  • leader
  • recovering addict
Q11

Who is Ronnie Shields and what is his storyline?

  • ronnie shields
  • father abandonment
  • trust
  • wheeler

Movie threads

More Movies Like Role Model, by Mood & Story

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

Movies about mentorship and found family like Role Model

Unlikely friendships transform lives and create new, supportive families. If you liked the heartfelt bond in Role Model, explore more movies about mentorship and found family. These films feature characters finding purpose and connection through supportive, often unlikely, relationships that blossom into something resembling family.

  • heartwarming
  • redemptive
  • uplifting
  • character-driven
  • hopeful
  • emotional
  • Tone: hopeful, heartwarming, redemptive
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread often begin with a character in a state of loneliness or disillusionment. The arrival of a mentor figure, who may also be in need of redemption, initiates a journey of mutual growth. The central conflict involves overcoming personal demons and building trust, culminating in a strong, familial bond that provides a happy or hopeful resolution.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a core focus on the transformative power of connection. They blend themes of personal growth with the emotional warmth of building a chosen family, resulting in a consistently hopeful and uplifting viewing experience.

Movies with hopeful redemption arcs like Role Model

Characters overcome past failures to find a second chance at happiness. Discover more movies like Role Model that focus on hopeful redemption arcs. These dramas follow jaded or troubled characters as they earn a second chance, leading to uplifting conclusions and significant personal transformation.

  • redemptive
  • hopeful
  • uplifting
  • reflective
  • character-driven
  • second-chances
  • Tone: hopeful, reflective, uplifting
  • Pacing: steady, linear progression
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a character who has hit a low point, often due to their own mistakes. A catalyst, such as a community service requirement or a new responsibility, forces them to engage with others. This journey is marked by setbacks and gradual progress, ultimately leading to the character's redemption, healing of old wounds, and a brighter future.

Why they belong together: Movies here share a core narrative of positive change. They balance the weight of past failures with the steady, optimistic climb towards a better self, creating a consistently rewarding and uplifting emotional journey for the viewer.

Every angle

Role Model (2023) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Role Model 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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