Scene of the Crime

A troubled thirteen-year-old boy navigating his parents' divorce and a difficult school life. He is pulled between loyalty to his mother and the dangerous world he encounters through the escaped convict. His attempts to secure money reveal a child learning to survive, while his innocent perception of events is tested by real violence. The Holy Communion weekend marks a bittersweet moment of family tension and ritual.

A mother who runs a riverside nightclub and is emotionally torn between independence and her obligations to her family. She is both drawn to and wary of Maurice, and she longs for escape from a stifling marriage. Her decisions—especially her involvement with Martin—push the family toward crisis, culminating in a dangerous interplay of love, loyalty, and guilt.

An escaped convict who exerts magnetic control over Thomas and Lili. He uses charm to manipulate others, commits violence to protect himself, and destabilizes the family with his arrival. His relationship with Lili and his actions lead to a violent pursuit, ultimately ending in tragedy.

Martin’s accomplice who underestimates Thomas, attempting to eliminate the boy but is killed by Martin. His presence highlights the perils of criminal alliances and the unpredictable violence surrounding the escape plan.

The convicts’ shared girlfriend who appears to assist their escape to Tangier. Her interactions with Martin and Lili reveal layers of loyalty and danger, and her actions—shooting Martin and later dying in a car crash—add a final, fatal twist to the escape plan.

Thomas’s father who threatens to strip Lili of custody. He embodies the controlling, material side of the parental split and recalls the couple’s past with home movies, underscoring the tension between memory and present reality.

Thomas’s grandmother who tries to keep the family together. She embodies warmth and stability, anchoring the family’s fragile bonds amid tension, grief, and the lure of escape.

Thomas’s grandfather who is gruff and focused on fishing, providing a counterpoint to the family’s turmoil with simple, stubborn affection.

The Catholic school chaplain whose concern with the boy’s behavior reflects the institutional pressures surrounding Thomas’s life at the boarding school.

Convicts’ ally who appears with a weapon to aid their Tangier escape, illustrating the volatile network around the criminals and their relationships.

The inspector who represents law and order, involved in the investigation as the truth about the escape comes to light.

A server in the setting (likely at the hotel/bar), contributing to the everyday social texture of the village.