Character Relationship Map: The Score

Characters

• Nick Wells (played by Robert De Niro) — protagonist

  Master safe-cracker who plans a final heist for a six million dollar cut. He recruits a team, infiltrates the Customs House basement via sewers, cracks the safe, anticipates Jack's betrayal, swaps the...

• Jack Teller (played by Edward Norton) — protagonist

  Ambitious thief who poses as a janitor to infiltrate the Customs House. He pressures Nick to hurry, hides a gun, betrays Nick during the escape, and ends up fleeing the city with a decoy case while be...

• Max (played by Marlon Brando) — supporting

  The fence who negotiates the heist payout and secretly sells the sceptre due to mob debts. He pressures Nick to complete the job and later watches news reports of the massive manhunt for Jack.

• Diane (played by Angela Bassett) — supporting

  Nick's girlfriend who runs a jazz club. She is disappointed by his decision to take the final score and considers ending their relationship, but they reunite at the airport after the successful heist.

• Burt (played by Gary Farmer) — supporting

  Nick's experienced associate who initially intimidates Jack into leaving town. During the heist, he poses as a garbage truck driver to deliver computer components needed to bypass the security system.

• Cop (played by Carlo Essagian) — minor
• Steven (played by Jamie Harrold) — supporting

  A hacker associate recruited to obtain security bypass codes from a systems administrator. He is caught during the breach but secures the codes through a negotiated exchange.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Nick Wells → Steven (Professional Hacker Recruiter) — Nick brings Steven into the operation for specialized technical expertise.

  Nick recruits Steven to break into the security company's system and obtain bypass codes.

• Max → Jack Teller (Professional Heist Principal) — Max connects Jack to the planned theft and its aftermath.

  Jack is the mastermind of the job that Max is arranging, and Max later watches the manhunt identifying Jack as the prime suspect.

• Nick Wells → Max (Professional Criminal Associate) — Max is Nick's fence and the broker of the final score.

  Max offers Nick the job, negotiates his six-million-dollar cut, and asks him to complete the robbery.

• Nick Wells → Diane (Romantic Boyfriend) — Diane is Nick's girlfriend and represents the legitimate life he hopes to build.

  Nick considers retiring to live with his girlfriend Diane, and they reunite at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Jack Teller → Cop (Narrative Prime Suspect) — Jack becomes the authorities' principal target after the robbery.

  A news broadcast reports a massive manhunt for Jack as the prime suspect after he flees the city.

• Nick Wells → Cop (Conflict Fugitive Opponent) — Nick's escape places him in opposition to the responding police.

  Nick escapes through the sewers as police arrive, while the authorities search for the thieves after the alarm is triggered.

• Nick Wells → Burt (Alliance Trusted Associate) — Burt performs trusted support and deception tasks for Nick.

  Nick sends Burt to intimidate Jack and later uses him to deliver computer components while posing as a garbage-truck driver.

• Nick Wells → Jack Teller (Alliance Heist Partner) — They cooperate on the robbery while competing for control of the operation.

  Nick agrees to join Jack's heist after Jack convinces him to reconsider, but only under Nick's operational control.

• Burt → Jack Teller (Conflict Intimidator) — Burt initially acts against Jack on Nick's behalf.

  Nick sends Burt to intimidate Jack and make him leave town before Jack gains the upper hand.

Story Analysis

A veteran safe-cracker attempts one final heist while outmaneuvering an ambitious partner and protecting his chance at a legitimate life.

Plot Progression

1. A Reluctant Final Score — Nick nearly gets caught and considers retirement with Diane. Jack's persistence and Max's offer pull him back into crime under strict conditions.
2. Building The Impossible Heist — The team identifies the royal sceptre and develops complementary access routes through infiltration and sewers. Steven's codes and Nick's safe plan make the robbery possible.
3. Pressure Before The Break-In — Burt questions the danger, while Max reveals his debts and hidden thirty-million-dollar sale. New security measures force the thieves to act sooner than planned.
4. The Customs House Breach — Jack disables surveillance and Nick reaches the safe through the sewers. Nick's explosive water-based method opens the vault, but Jack turns on him.
5. The Decoy And Escape — Nick escapes with the real sceptre while Jack flees with a decoy. Jack becomes the prime suspect, and Nick reunites with Diane.