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Characters & Themes

The Automatic Hate (2016) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 97 min · English
JustWatch #29,597 1
Directed by
Justin Lerner

When his mysterious cousin Alexis arrives, Davis Green's life is upended, revealing hidden secrets from his family’s history. Defying his father's cautions, he travels to rural New York, where he finds himself entangled in a web of unspoken desires and deeply rooted family conflicts. Davis must confront a painful truth that risks tearing his family apart and reshaping his understanding of his own past.

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 The Automatic Hate
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Automatic Hate (2016)

Where can you watch The Automatic Hate? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Fawesome, Hoopla and Kanopy: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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4 main characters · contains spoilers

The Automatic Hate Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of The Automatic Hate (2016), 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.

  • Davis Green

    Davis is a Boston chef struggling with the complexities of his relationships, caught between a crumbling romance with Cassie and an intriguing connection with Alexis. His journey towards self-discovery is fraught with emotional upheaval as he navigates family secrets and personal dilemmas.

    • 👨‍🍳 Chef
    • 😟 Tormented Soul
    • 💔 Lover
  • Cassie

    Cassie is Davis's girlfriend, who is deeply affected by his emotional turmoil. Her struggle with the fallout of a recent confession reveals her vulnerability and highlights the challenges they face in their relationship as they navigate trust and commitment.

    • 👩‍❤️‍👨 Girlfriend
    • 😢 Heartbroken
    • ⚖️ Loyal
  • Alexis Green

    Alexis is the enigmatic cousin who complicates Davis's life by opening up connections to long-buried family secrets. Her persistence and intrigue draw Davis in, cultivating an attraction that forces him to reflect on his feelings and what family truly means.

    • 👩‍👧‍👦 Cousin
    • 🌟 Mysterious
    • 💓 Intriguing
  • Ronald Green

    Ronald, Davis's father, embodies the harsh realities of family expectations and emotional detachment. His dismissive attitude towards Davis adds strain to their relationship, representing older generational values that clash with Davis's quest for understanding and connection.

    • 👨‍👦 Father
    • ❌ Dismissive
    • 📚 Traditional

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:17

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Setting

Where and When Does The Automatic Hate Take Place?

The setting of The Automatic Hate (2016): 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

The movie unfolds in contemporary times, highlighting current themes of family dynamics, psychological exploration, and personal identity. The social issues presented reflect the intricacies of modern relationships, making the narrative relatable to today’s audience.

Location

Boston, Upstate New York

Boston serves as the backdrop for Davis Green's tumultuous relationship with Cassie, filled with emotional tension and familial complexities. Upstate New York represents a more secluded, rustic setting where Davis learns about his family's hidden secrets and connects with Alexis, exploring the depth of their shared history.

  • 🏙️ City
  • 🌄 Wilderness

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:17

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3 major themes

The Automatic Hate Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is The Automatic Hate (2016) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Family Ties

    The struggle to understand family connections is central to the movie, as Davis grapples with shocking revelations about his relatives. The interactions among family members expose deep-seated issues, showcasing both love and animosity inherent in familial bonds.

  • Identity Crisis

    Davis faces a profound identity crisis as he uncovers dark family secrets that challenge his understanding of self. His relationships with Cassie and Alexis serve as catalysts for introspection, prompting him to confront uncomfortable truths about his past and present.

  • Emotional Turmoil

    The film delves into the emotional turmoil experienced by Davis, torn between loyalty to Cassie and the undeniable attraction he feels for Alexis. These conflicting feelings lead to confrontations and heart-wrenching decisions that shape his path forward.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:17

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Character & theme questions

The Automatic Hate Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about The Automatic Hate (2016): 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 is The Automatic Hate set?

The movie takes place primarily in Boston, where Davis Green works as a chef and navigates his tumultuous relationship with Cassie, and in Upstate New York, a more secluded rural setting where he discovers hidden family secrets and connects with his cousin Alexis.

  • boston
  • upstate new york
  • setting
  • locations
  • rural
Q2

When is The Automatic Hate set?

The movie is set in contemporary times, reflecting current themes of family dynamics, psychological exploration, and personal identity that resonate with modern audiences.

  • contemporary
  • modern
  • time period
  • era
Q3

Who is Alexis in The Automatic Hate?

Alexis Green is Davis's enigmatic cousin whose arrival in his life unravels long-buried family secrets. Her persistence and mystery draw Davis into exploring their shared family history, forcing him to confront uncomfortable truths about his past.

  • alexis green
  • cousin
  • family secrets
  • character
Q4

Who is Ronald Green in The Automatic Hate?

Ronald Green is Davis's father, embodying the harsh realities of family expectations and emotional detachment. His dismissive attitude toward Davis represents older generational values that clash with Davis's quest for understanding and connection.

  • ronald green
  • father
  • family expectations
  • generation
Q5

What role does Cassie play in The Automatic Hate?

Cassie is Davis's girlfriend, struggling with the emotional fallout of his turmoil. Her vulnerability highlights the challenges in their relationship as they navigate trust and commitment while Davis deals with revelations about his family.

  • cassie
  • girlfriend
  • relationship
  • davis
Q6

What does Family Ties mean in The Automatic Hate?

The Family Ties theme explores Davis's struggle to understand his family connections after shocking revelations about his relatives. The film showcases both love and animosity inherent in familial bonds, revealing deep-seated issues that have shaped Davis's identity.

  • family ties
  • family secrets
  • relatives
  • family bonds
Q7

What is the identity crisis in The Automatic Hate?

Davis faces a profound identity crisis as he uncovers dark family secrets that challenge his understanding of self. His relationships with Cassie and Alexis serve as catalysts for introspection, forcing him to confront uncomfortable truths about his past and present.

  • identity crisis
  • self discovery
  • family secrets
  • personal identity
Q8

What is the emotional turmoil in The Automatic Hate?

The film explores Davis's emotional turmoil as he torn between loyalty to Cassie and his attraction to Alexis. These conflicting feelings lead to confrontations and difficult decisions that shape his path forward, revealing the psychological complexity of his situation.

  • emotional turmoil
  • conflict
  • attraction
  • psychological
Q9

How does the setting contribute to the story?

The contrast between Boston and Upstate New York mirrors Davis's internal journey. Boston represents his established but crumbling life with Cassie, while the secluded rural setting of Upstate New York serves as a space for discovery, secrets, and confrontation with family history.

  • boston
  • upstate new york
  • contrast
  • setting importance
Q10

What does the title The Automatic Hate refer to?

The title reflects the automatic, instinctive nature of family conflicts and resentments that pass down through generations. Davis discovers that some emotional responses and family patterns operate automatically, without conscious choice, shaping relationships before individuals even realize it.

  • title meaning
  • automatic hate
  • family resentment
  • interpretation

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Automatic Hate, by Mood & Story

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

Movies about taboo family secrets like The Automatic Hate

Stories where buried family histories resurface with dangerous and confusing consequences. If you liked the tense uncovering of family secrets and forbidden attraction in The Automatic Hate, these movies explore similar themes. Discover other dramatic stories where buried histories, identity crises, and uncomfortable desires come to light, challenging family bonds and personal understanding.

  • uncomfortable
  • tense
  • confrontational
  • melancholic
  • claustrophobic
  • forbidden attraction
  • Tone: tense, uneasy, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a protagonist discovering a hidden branch of their family or a shocking secret that recontextualizes their past. This discovery often triggers a journey, both physical and emotional, leading to confrontations with older generations and encounters with forbidden or complicated attractions. The journey is less about action and more about emotional reckoning and moral ambiguity.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core focus on the explosive nature of family secrets, particularly those involving taboo desires or blurred family lines. They create a specific, uncomfortable mood of tense discovery and share a heavy emotional weight as characters grapple with the collapse of their understood reality.

Movies with bittersweet revelations like The Automatic Hate

Character journeys where the truth is uncovered, but healing comes at a cost. For viewers who appreciated the emotionally heavy and bittersweet ending of The Automatic Hate, this list features similar films. These stories follow characters confronting difficult truths that reshape their world, leading to conclusions that are neither fully happy nor sad, but complex and resonant.

  • bittersweet
  • melancholic
  • heavy
  • reflective
  • emotional
  • unraveling
  • Tone: bittersweet, melancholic, tense
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The story arc involves a quest for truth that is ultimately successful, but the knowledge gained forces difficult choices and personal sacrifices. The ending seldom provides a clean, happy resolution; instead, it offers a fragile new equilibrium. Characters are left somewhat wiser but also scarred, having traded innocence for a more burdensome understanding.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their specific emotional payoff: a bittersweet ending that follows a heavy dramatic journey. They share a moderate-to-high complexity in character relationships and a steady pacing that allows the emotional weight to build. The primary connection is the shared feeling of having faced the truth, with all its devastating and liberating consequences.

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Movies Like The Automatic Hate

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Every angle

The Automatic Hate (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Automatic Hate 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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