Alice Pressman, the Mother (played by Zelda Rubinstein) is a protagonist in Anguish.
In the film-within-a-film The Mommy, she is an overbearing mother who hypnotizes her son, John, into murdering people so he can harvest their eyes for her. She is brought to the besieged theater by police to negotiate with John, but is accidentally shot and killed by law enforcement. Her on-screen death directly triggers the real-life Killer's enraged rampage. John Pressman (played by Michael Lerner) is a protagonist in Anguish.
A myopic, diabetic ophthalmology assistant in The Mommy who is hypnotized by his mother to murder patrons and harvest their eyes. He barricades himself in a cinema and begins killing moviegoers. In the framing narrative, he reappears as a hospital orderly who approaches Patty, claiming to be a hallucination before examining her eyes. Patty (played by Talia Paul) appears in Anguish.
A teenage patron watching The Mommy at The Rex theater. She becomes increasingly distressed by the film and is later taken hostage by The Killer, who uses her as a human shield during his shooting spree. After surviving the ordeal, she is hospitalized and experiences a terrifying vision of John Pressman attacking her. The Killer (played by Àngel Jové) appears in Anguish.
A deeply agitated theater patron who experiences synchronized reactions to The Mommy. He murders staff, barricades the projection booth, and takes Patty hostage. Mimicking the inner film's events, he holds Patty as a shield and opens fire on the audience. He is killed by a police sniper after Alice's on-screen death provokes him. Linda (played by Clara Pastor) appears in Anguish.
Patty's friend who witnesses The Killer murder theater staff and drag the bodies to the bathroom. She escapes the besieged cinema and successfully flags down a passerby to call the police. After the SWAT operation concludes, she reunites with a traumatized Patty outside the theater.
Anguish (1987) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Alice Pressman, the Mother
(played by Zelda Rubinstein) — protagonist
In the film-within-a-film The Mommy, she is an overbearing mother who hypnotizes her son, John, into murdering people so he can harvest their eyes for her. She is brought to the besieged theater by po...
John Pressman
(played by Michael Lerner) — protagonist
A myopic, diabetic ophthalmology assistant in The Mommy who is hypnotized by his mother to murder patrons and harvest their eyes. He barricades himself in a cinema and begins killing moviegoers. In th...
Patty
(played by Talia Paul) — supporting
A teenage patron watching The Mommy at The Rex theater. She becomes increasingly distressed by the film and is later taken hostage by The Killer, who uses her as a human shield during his shooting spr...
The Killer
(played by Àngel Jové) — supporting
A deeply agitated theater patron who experiences synchronized reactions to The Mommy. He murders staff, barricades the projection booth, and takes Patty hostage. Mimicking the inner film's events, he...
Linda
(played by Clara Pastor) — supporting
Patty's friend who witnesses The Killer murder theater staff and drag the bodies to the bathroom. She escapes the besieged cinema and successfully flags down a passerby to call the police. After the S...
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
The Killer → Alice Pressman, the Mother
(Romantic Obsessed Fan)
Alice Pressman, the Mother → John Pressman
(Family Mother)
Story Dynamics
Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.
The Killer → Patty
(Conflict Captor)
Patty → Linda
(Social Friend)
Story Analysis
A psychological horror film with nested narratives about reality and perception
