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The Submarine Kid (2016) movie poster

Characters & Themes

The Submarine Kid (2016) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 109 mins · English
Directed by
Eric Bilitch
Starring
Michael Beach, Finn Wittrock, Matt O'Leary, Jack Coleman, Jessy Schram, Nancy Travis

After returning home from a traumatic wartime experience, Spencer Koll, a United States Marine, finds himself drawn to a captivating woman also navigating a challenging path. Their connection deepens into a complex and intense relationship, blending elements of magic and destruction as they confront hidden truths about themselves and each other. The experience tests their limits and ultimately forces them to face difficult realities.

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

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Submarine Kid (2016)

Where can you watch The Submarine Kid? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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5 main characters · contains spoilers

The Submarine Kid Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of The Submarine Kid (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.

  • Spencer Koll (Finn Wittrock)

    A Marine freshly returned from war, Spencer is fragile, haunted by vivid memories, and prone to panic. He struggles to reconnect with his friends and girlfriend while navigating flashbacks that pull him toward danger. The weight of his experiences strains his sense of self and his willingness to engage with ordinary life, revealing a stubborn, hopeful will to heal.

    • 🪖 Veteran
    • 🧠 PTSD
    • 🌫️ Memory
  • Emily (Jessy Schram)

    Spencer’s girlfriend and a source of care, Emily tries to bridge the gap between his frightening memories and their shared life. She grows increasingly worried as his symptoms intensify, yet she remains part of his social circle and emotional anchor. Her patience and concern highlight the strain a relationship meets when love confronts trauma.

    • 💑 Relationship
    • 💬 Communication
    • 🤝 Support
  • Alice (Emilie de Ravin)

    Alice appears as a beacon of light who also carries a haunting presence, a ghost tied to the war and Spencer’s memories. She offers comfort but also represents a risky lure away from the living world, challenging him to confront rather than escape his trauma. Her revelation links Spencer’s current fear to a past tragedy connected to the Submarine Kid.

    • 👻 Ghostly presence
    • 🪄 Supernatural
    • 💘 Unattainable connection
  • Mr. Koll (Jack Coleman)

    Spencer’s father, a steady, protective presence who watches his son’s deterioration with concern. He embodies the hope that family can anchor a veteran back to safety and normalcy. His protective instincts underscore the family’s role in the healing process.

    • 👨‍👦 Family
    • 🛡️ Protection
  • Mrs. Koll (Nancy Travis)

    Spencer’s mother, similarly anxious yet supportive, she presses for his safety and well-being. Her worry reflects the broader fear of losing him to his memories and to the pull of the past. She represents the care that comes from a home trying to hold a fractured son together.

    • 👩‍👦 Family
    • 💬 Supportive family

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:19

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Setting

Where and When Does The Submarine Kid Take Place?

The setting of The Submarine Kid (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

21st century

Set in contemporary times after recent military conflicts, the film follows a veteran's difficult return to civilian life. The story opens with a homecoming that exposes fragile mental health and the pull of past battles. Dreamlike sequences and flashbacks mingle with present moments, indicating a time period that feels current but unsettled.

Location

Thunder Lake, War-torn foreign country

Thunder Lake anchors the story as a quiet lakeside setting where memory and fear surface. The boardwalk and shoreline become liminal spaces that blur between waking life and nightmare. The narrative also traverses the war-torn foreign country where Spencer's squad operated, grounding his trauma in a concrete past.

  • 🌊 Lakeside
  • ⚔️ War zone
  • 🧭 Memory-driven

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:19

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4 major themes

The Submarine Kid Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

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

  • Memory

    The narrative constantly folds memory into the present, making what is remembered feel as alive as what is real. Alice and the Submarine Kid’s memories act as living presences that press on Spencer’s perception. The line between dream and waking life becomes a battleground where past actions haunt current choices. Memory is both a refuge and a burden, shaping how Spencer sees himself and the world.

  • Trauma

    Trauma drives Spencer into fear, isolation, and impulsive behavior, revealing the fragility of a soldier returning home. The near-drownings and driving sequences externalize his internal panic. The ghostly figures and visions reflect the persistence of wartime guilt and grief. Healing emerges only when he faces these memories rather than trying to drown them.

  • Homecoming

    Spencer’s return to civilian life tests his relationships with friends and Emily, highlighting the distance that trauma can create. The movie contrasts ordinary moments with moments of sudden instability, underscoring how fragile a sense of home can be. Family members, especially Mr. and Mrs. Koll, embody the pressure to keep him attached to the living world. Home becomes a contested space where memory and love must share the room.

  • Guilt

    A pivotal moment involves a morally ambiguous act during combat, forcing Spencer to confront the consequences of actions taken under extreme stress. The film interrogates guilt, responsibility, and the cost of survival. Ghosts of the past demand accountability, even as Spencer longs for a world where such choices never happened. Acceptance, not avoidance, becomes the path to healing.

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:19

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Character & theme questions

The Submarine Kid Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about The Submarine Kid (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 Submarine Kid set?

The film takes place primarily at Thunder Lake, a quiet lakeside setting where memory and fear surface. The story also revisits the war-torn foreign country where Spencer's squad operated, grounding his trauma in a concrete past.

  • thunder lake
  • setting
  • war zone
  • lakeside location
Q2

What time period does The Submarine Kid take place in?

The movie is set in contemporary times, specifically the 21st century, following recent military conflicts. It follows a veteran's difficult return to civilian life, with dreamlike sequences and flashbacks mingling with present moments.

  • contemporary
  • 21st century
  • modern era
  • veteran return
Q3

What is Thunder Lake's significance in the story?

Thunder Lake anchors the narrative as a quiet lakeside setting where memory and fear surface. The boardwalk and shoreline become liminal spaces that blur between waking life and nightmare, reflecting the protagonist's psychological state.

  • thunder lake
  • liminal space
  • memory
  • nightmare
Q4

How does memory function as a theme in The Submarine Kid?

The narrative constantly folds memory into the present, making what is remembered feel as alive as what is real. Alice and the Submarine Kid's memories act as living presences that press on Spencer's perception, making memory both a refuge and a burden.

  • memory
  • flashbacks
  • past
  • perception
  • haunting memories
Q5

What role does trauma play in The Submarine Kid?

Trauma drives Spencer into fear, isolation, and impulsive behavior, revealing the fragility of a soldier returning home. Near-drownings and driving sequences externalize his internal panic, while ghostly figures reflect the persistence of wartime guilt and grief.

  • trauma
  • PTSD
  • veteran
  • guilt
  • grief
  • psychological struggle
Q6

What does homecoming mean in The Submarine Kid?

Spencer's return to civilian life tests his relationships with friends and Emily, highlighting the distance trauma can create. Family members embody the pressure to keep him attached to the living world, making home a contested space where memory and love must share the room.

  • homecoming
  • family
  • reintegration
  • civilian life
  • relationships
Q7

How is guilt explored in The Submarine Kid?

A pivotal moment involves a morally ambiguous act during combat, forcing Spencer to confront the consequences of actions taken under extreme stress. The film interrogates guilt, responsibility, and the cost of survival, where ghosts of the past demand accountability.

  • guilt
  • responsibility
  • combat
  • moral ambiguity
  • accountability
  • survivor guilt
Q8

Who is Spencer Koll in The Submarine Kid?

Spencer Koll is a United States Marine freshly returned from war, portrayed by Finn Wittrock. He is fragile and haunted by vivid memories, prone to panic, and struggles to reconnect with friends and girlfriend while navigating flashbacks that pull him toward danger.

  • spencer koll
  • marine
  • veteran
  • protagonist
  • PTSD
Q9

Who is Alice and what does she represent?

Alice, played by Emilie de Ravin, appears as a beacon of light who also carries a haunting presence, a ghost tied to the war and Spencer's memories. She offers comfort but also represents a risky lure away from the living world, challenging him to confront rather than escape his trauma.

  • alice
  • ghost
  • memory
  • trauma manifestation
  • haunting
Q10

Who is Emily and what is her role in the story?

Emily, played by Jessy Schram, is Spencer's girlfriend and a source of care. She tries to bridge the gap between his frightening memories and their shared life, growing increasingly worried as his symptoms intensify while remaining his emotional anchor.

  • emily
  • girlfriend
  • love interest
  • support
  • emotional anchor
Q11

Who are Mr. and Mrs. Koll in The Submarine Kid?

Mr. Koll (Jack Coleman) and Mrs. Koll (Nancy Travis) are Spencer's parents. His father is a steady, protective presence who watches his son's deterioration with concern. His mother is similarly anxious yet supportive, pressing for his safety and well-being, representing the care that comes from a home trying to hold a fractured son together.

  • mr koll
  • mrs koll
  • parents
  • family
  • mother
  • father
Q12

What is the tone and genre of The Submarine Kid?

The Submarine Kid is a drama with a melancholic tone dominated by reflective sadness and the weight of unresolved trauma. The film weaves between reality, memory, and hallucination, requiring viewers to discern the symbolic nature of Alice and the Submarine Kid's legend. The emotional weight is heavy, centering on severe PTSD, survivor's guilt, and a suicide attempt, with a bittersweet ending.

  • drama
  • melancholic
  • psychological
  • PTSD
  • trauma
  • bittersweet

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Submarine Kid, by Mood & Story

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

Psychological Trauma Stories Like The Submarine Kid

Stories where the past bleeds into the present through haunting psychological wounds. Discover movies that, like The Submarine Kid, explore the deep psychological scars of trauma. These films use introspective and often haunting narratives to depict characters wrestling with PTSD, survivor's guilt, and fractured memories, creating a powerful and emotionally heavy viewing experience.

  • psychological
  • haunting
  • introspective
  • melancholic
  • sad
  • atmospheric
  • Tone: melancholic, haunting, introspective
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a protagonist whose present life is dominated by unresolved trauma from a past event. The story structure often interweaves reality with fragmented memories, hallucinations, or symbolic encounters, forcing the character to confront their pain in order to find a fragile path forward, which may not be a cure but an acceptance.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared commitment to portraying the internal, psychological reality of trauma. They share a heavy emotional weight, a melancholic tone, and a focus on character introspection over external plot, creating a cohesive and deeply affecting type of drama.

Bittersweet Acceptance Journeys Like The Submarine Kid

Emotional stories where healing is a painful step forward, not a happy ending. If you appreciated the nuanced ending of The Submarine Kid, explore more films about bittersweet acceptance. These movies follow characters who, after facing heavy emotional trials, find a fragile peace that acknowledges their scars rather than erasing them, offering a realistic and often hopeful conclusion.

  • bittersweet
  • sad
  • hopeful
  • emotional
  • reflective
  • heavy
  • Tone: bittersweet, heavy, reflective
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The emotional journey is defined by a heavy burden—grief, trauma, or a profound personal failure. The climax is not a reversal of fortune but a moment of painful clarity where the character lets go of a destructive illusion or expectation. The ending feels bittersweet, acknowledging the pain while finding a sliver of hope in the mere act of moving forward.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific emotional arc and conclusion. They resonate with viewers seeking stories that reflect the complex reality of healing, where endings are emotionally resonant mixtures of sadness and hope, rather than neatly packaged solutions.

Every angle

The Submarine Kid (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Submarine Kid 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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