Small Apartments

A hairless, overweight, eccentric misfit whose days orbit around Switzerland-obsessed fantasies, a compulsive hoard, and a peculiar diet. He drifts through a nearly empty Southern California apartment, moving through life in briefs and mismatched socks. When a death is staged and hidden wealth emerges, Franklin must reckon with the gap between his delusions and reality.

Franklin’s older brother whose death leaves a void and a tangled legacy. Bernard’s belongings uncover a Swiss bank account and a passport with a new identity, reframing him as both hero and mystery. His absence haunts Franklin and catalyzes the film’s central turn toward truth.

The landlord who dies in a bizarre accident, inadvertently triggering Franklin’s reckless cover-up. His demise exposes the fragility of Franklin’s world and the collateral danger his scheme invites for others. He serves as the plot’s catalyst and moral counterpoint.

An aspiring dancer living with her mother, Simone provides a thread of hope and vulnerability within the building’s eccentric mix. She interacts with Franklin and the others in a way that tests the boundaries between romance and dependence. Her ambition sits alongside uncertainty in a precarious environment.

A cynical, blunt neighbor whose rough humor grounds the apartment’s chaos. His presence highlights distrust and misdirection within the group, acting as a foil to Franklin’s flights of fancy. He embodies the harsher edge of this microcosm.

A neurotic elderly recluse whose past losses and secrets haunt the building. His fragile morality and concealed grief add depth to the ensemble and foreshadow the dangers of bottled-up truths. He anchors the social tapestry with a wary, humane perspective.

A methodical fire investigator who pieces together Olivetti’s staged death and leads the pursuit of the missing vehicle. He represents the relentless search for truth that confronts Franklin’s evasions. His presence heightens the tension between appearance and reality.

A self-help author with a fraught past relationship to Bernard, who becomes an awkward ally on the Switzerland-bound voyage. His confident exterior contrasts with moments of vulnerability when faced with Franklin’s revelations. He embodies the tension between swagger and sincerity.