Character Relationship Map: Thoroughbreds

Characters

• Amanda (played by Olivia Cooke) — protagonist

  A wealthy high school student facing animal cruelty charges after euthanizing a disabled horse. She claims a mental disorder leaves her emotionally numb, making her believe she cannot feel guilt. She...

• Tim (played by Anton Yelchin) — supporting

  A convicted drug dealer and statutory rapist blackmailed by the girls to kill Mark. He arrives at the property but ultimately refuses to carry out the murder. Later working as a valet, he briefly re-e...

• Cynthia (played by Francie Swift) — supporting

  Lily's mother. She initially attempts to hire Lily to socialize with Amanda to help with her daughter's behavioral issues. She is subjected to verbal abuse by Mark, which fuels Lily's desire for reven...

• Mark (played by Paul Sparks) — supporting

  Lily's stepfather, whom she deeply resents for enrolling her in a behavioral boarding school and verbally abusing her mother. His controlling behavior and cruelty directly trigger the girls' murder pl...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Tim → Mark (Professional Intended Hitman) — Tim is recruited as a paid-or-coerced executor of the planned killing.

  The girls blackmail Tim into murdering Mark, and he goes to the property for that purpose before leaving.

• Cynthia → Amanda (Professional Paid Social Contact) — Cynthia indirectly tries to support Amanda by arranging social interaction.

  Amanda says that her mother paid Lily to socialize with her, establishing Cynthia's involvement in arranging the contact.

• Mark → Cynthia (Family Spouse) — Their marriage is marked by Mark's verbal abuse and Cynthia's vulnerability.

  Mark is Lily's stepfather and is shown verbally berating Cynthia at home.

Story Dynamics

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

• Amanda → Mark (Conflict Framed Suspect) — Amanda becomes the apparent perpetrator of Mark's murder despite Lily carrying it out.

  Lily smears Amanda with Mark's blood and Amanda is later committed to a psychiatric hospital for the crime.

• Amanda → Tim (Alliance Blackmail Collaborator) — Amanda helps recruit Tim as the intended direct killer.

  Amanda and Lily decide together to blackmail Tim into murdering Mark.

Story Analysis

A renewed friendship becomes a murder conspiracy that exposes manipulation, emotional detachment, and the cost of abandoning trust.

Plot Progression

1. A Friendship Reopens — Amanda returns to Lily's life through a purported tutoring visit. Despite the revelation that Cynthia arranged the contact, Lily later chooses to reconnect voluntarily.
2. Murder Enters Conversation — Amanda introduces the possibility of killing Mark. Mark's control over Lily and his abuse of Cynthia turn the shocking question into a serious proposal.
3. The Failed Hit — Amanda and Lily recruit Tim through blackmail because Amanda fears suspicion from her animal cruelty case. Tim reaches Mark's property but refuses to complete the murder.
4. A Friend's Betrayal — After Tim's refusal, Lily considers killing Mark herself. During a movie night, she drugs Amanda and reveals a plan to use Amanda as the murder's scapegoat.
5. The Cost Of Silence — Lily kills Mark and frames Amanda, who is committed to a psychiatric hospital. Lily later lies to Tim, while Amanda's letter and horse-filled dream provide the final image of their broken bond.