The Frontier

Laine is a wary, resourceful drifter who uses others to survive and navigate a dangerous drop. She’s calculating and willing to take risks, including drugging drinks, to advance her position. Her confession about killing a man in Flagstaff reveals a violent past that shadows her present choices. Throughout, she stays focused on escaping with the money, even as she navigates threats from Lee and suspicion from Gault and Luanne.

Luanne runs the motel with a mix of charm and shrewd pragmatism. She offers Laine a job and seems accommodating, but she’s clearly calculating and ultimately willing to kill to protect her interests. Her actions reveal a survivalist mindset that values money and control, even as she builds a fragile alliance with Laine. Her later vigilance and paranoia hint at a ruthless streak.

Gault is a police officer whose flirtatious manner masks a calculated, possibly secretive operator. He tests boundaries and controls information to influence events, appearing both as an ally and a potential threat. He maintains composure while pursuing his own version of the truth, suggesting a hidden agenda beyond straightforward law enforcement. The ending hints at a possible collaboration or deception between him and Laine.

Lee is a taciturn, volatile presence who asserts dominance through violence. He pressures Laine to reveal her true identity and escalates conflict, eventually killing multiple people in the pursuit of a deadly game. His brutality exposes the fragility of the motel’s supposed safety and highlights the moral lines characters are willing to cross.

Gloria is characterized by her anxiety and attachment to her younger brother Eddie. She becomes a focal point of concern as the group’s plan spirals, and her distress drives reactions that influence the others’ choices. Her loyalty to family conflicts with the drive for personal gain, contributing to the mounting tension.

Eddie is Gloria’s impulsive brother, involved in the scheme though his actions ultimately undermine others. He awakens during the critical moment and seizes the money, embodying the risk-taking mentality of the group. His fate—dying after a car crash and subsequent pursuit—underscores the film’s brutality and the collapse of the plan.