Character Relationship Map: Parents

Characters

• Nick Laemle (played by Randy Quaid) — protagonist

  Nick is Michael's father and Lily's husband, and he works at Toxico developing a chemical defoliant. Michael becomes convinced that Nick and Lily are cannibals. Nick tries to feed Michael human meat,...

• Lily Laemle (played by Mary Beth Hurt) — protagonist

  Lily is Michael's mother and Nick's wife. Michael suspects that she and Nick are cannibals, and she smiles in agreement when Nick says Michael will develop a taste for human meat. When Nick tries to k...

• Millie Dew (played by Sandy Dennis) — supporting

  Millie is Michael's school guidance counselor. She is skeptical of his claims about his parents and believes he is imagining what he has seen. She goes home with Michael to convince him of this, but t...

• Michael Laemle (played by Bryan Madorsky) — supporting

  Michael is the ten-year-old son of Nick and Lily, who move with him from Massachusetts to a California suburb in 1958. Socially awkward and troubled by disturbing dreams, he becomes convinced that his...

• Lab Attendant (played by Wayne Robson) — supporting
• Sheila Zellner (played by Juno Mills-Cockell) — supporting
• Miss Judith Baxter (played by Kathryn Grody) — supporting
• Little boy (played by Uriel Byfield) — minor
• Little girl (played by Mariah Balaban) — minor
• Announcer (played by Larry Palef) — minor
• Mrs. Gladys Zellner (played by Deborah Rush) — supporting
• Mr. Marty Zellner (played by Graham Jarvis) — supporting
• Grandmother (played by Helen Carscallen) — supporting

  Michael's paternal grandmother takes part in assuming his care after the destruction of his parents' home. She and his grandfather put him to bed and leave him a midnight snack: a suspicious-looking m...

• Grandfather (played by Warren Van Evera) — supporting

  Michael's paternal grandfather takes part in assuming his care after the destruction of his parents' home. He and Michael's grandmother put the boy to bed and leave him a midnight snack: a suspicious-...

Story Analysis

A psychological horror exploring suburban family secrets and generational trauma.

Plot Progression

1. Suburban Displacement
2. Paranoia and Discovery
3. Domestic Terror
4. Catastrophic Reckoning