Character Relationship Map: Remote Control

Characters

• Cosmo (played by Kevin Dillon) — protagonist

  Cosmo is the central investigator opposing the dangerous influence of Remote Control. After witnessing a murder with Georgie, he is wrongly suspected, escapes custody, traces the tapes through rental...

• Belinda Watson (played by Deborah Goodrich) — supporting

  Belinda Watson is a video-store customer who becomes vulnerable to Remote Control's electronic influence. Cosmo tries to pull her away from a controlled display and questions her about the tapes. Whil...

• Georgie (played by Christopher Wynne) — supporting

  Georgie is Cosmo's companion and a crucial witness to the murder connected with Remote Control. Georgie and Cosmo insist that they saw the killer being recorded on television, but the police initially...

• Victor (played by Frank Beddor) — supporting

  Victor is connected to the spreading rental copies of Remote Control. The film's electronic voice calls Victor's name when the tape appears on a television, and the investigation later establishes tha...

• Patricia (played by Kaaren Lee) — supporting

  Patricia visits a video store with Cosmo, Georgie, and Matthew while the group encounters the spreading Remote Control phenomenon. The investigation later finds that another copy has reached Patricia'...

• Allegra James (played by Jennifer Tilly) — supporting

  Allegra James is exposed to Remote Control when its electronic voice calls her name after the film appears on a television in a video store. Her reaction helps show that the tape can reach and affect...

• Julia Bard (played by Jennifer Buchanan) — supporting

  Julia Bard is nearby when Alan Bard and Eva Bard watch the old science-fiction film on their new VCR. The electronic influence of Remote Control soon reaches Julia as well, showing that direct partici...

• Alan Bard (played by Jerold Pearson) — supporting

  Alan Bard watches an old science-fiction film on a new VCR with Eva Bard while Julia Bard is nearby. When the electronic voices begin calling Eva's name, the same influence reaches Alan and changes th...

• Matthew (played by Jamie McEnnan) — supporting

  Matthew accompanies Cosmo, Georgie, and Patricia during their visit to a video store where Remote Control is observed spreading through rental outlets. A copy later reaches Patricia's home, and Matthe...

Story Dynamics

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

• Belinda Watson → Georgie (Alliance Information Source) — Belinda's information supports the investigators' effort to locate the tapes.

  Under the movie's influence, Belinda reveals that copies are circulating widely, information used by Cosmo and his allies during their investigation.

• Julia Bard → Cosmo (Narrative Parallel Victim) — Julia's exposure represents the danger Cosmo is attempting to prevent.

  Julia is nearby when the film's influence reaches the Bard household, while Cosmo later works to stop the phenomenon from reaching more viewers.

• Alan Bard → Cosmo (Narrative Parallel Victim) — Alan's exposure illustrates the threat that Cosmo is trying to contain.

  Alan is among the early viewers affected by Remote Control, while Cosmo later investigates the film's influence and distribution.

• Alan Bard → Julia Bard (Social Shared Exposure) — Alan and Julia are connected by their exposure to the dangerous film.

  Alan watches the old science-fiction film while Julia Bard is nearby, and the same influence soon reaches both of them.

• Patricia → Matthew (Social Household Association) — Their connection is established through the tape's presence at Patricia's home.

  Copies reach Patricia's home, where Matthew may also be exposed to the film's influence.

• Allegra James → Victor (Unknown Shared Exposure) — Both are directly identified as targets of the film's influence in the store.

  When Remote Control appears on a television in the video store, its electronic voice calls to Allegra James and Victor.

• Georgie → Victor (Unknown Investigative Connection) — Victor is a distribution lead in Georgie and Cosmo's investigation.

  The investigation reveals that Victor rented one copy of Remote Control, helping Cosmo and Georgie trace how the tapes were distributed.

• Cosmo → Belinda Watson (Alliance Ally) — Cosmo attempts to protect Belinda while using her knowledge to stop the distribution network.

  Cosmo tries to pull Belinda away from a controlling display and demands information about the remaining tapes.

• Cosmo → Georgie (Alliance Teammate) — They cooperate as the main investigators opposing the videotape phenomenon.

  Cosmo visits a video store with Georgie, and the two later investigate the spreading tapes together after witnessing a murder.

Story Analysis

A dangerous videotape spreads through rental stores and manipulates viewers, forcing Cosmo and his allies to trace and stop its distribution.

Plot Progression

1. The Watching Begins — The Bards watch a science-fiction film on their new VCR. Its electronic voices begin influencing viewers, establishing the tape as an active threat.
2. A Murder On Screen — Cosmo and Georgie encounter the film in a video-store environment and witness a murder connected with it. Their explanation is rejected, and the evidence mysteriously changes.
3. Tracing The Copies — After escaping custody, Cosmo and Georgie follow the rental trail through Victor, the Retro Club, and Patricia's home. The spread of the tapes becomes increasingly difficult to contain.
4. Polaris Distribution — A controlling display affects Belinda, who reveals that copies are circulating widely. The group traces the operation to Polaris Video and discovers an imminent truckload of tapes.
5. Stores Under Siege — The allies plan to destroy samples at video stores including Vid-O-Rama and Satellite Video. Belinda remains vulnerable while Cosmo and the others continue resisting the film's expansion.