Character Relationship Map: Altar

Characters

• Meg (played by Olivia Williams) — protagonist

  Meg is the mother of Penny and Harper and Alec's wife, and she takes a restoration job at an isolated old house to support her family. When Penny reports seeing a woman, Meg tries to reassure her, but...

• Alec (played by Matthew Modine) — protagonist

  Meg's husband who relocates with their family to oversee the house restoration. He becomes entangled in the unexplainable events and is forced to survive a terrifying night with his family as the hous...

• Penny (played by Antonia Clarke) — supporting

  Penny is Meg and Alec's daughter, living with them and her brother Harper at the isolated house. She feels uneasy, reports seeing a woman, and later finds an image matching the figure she describes, i...

• Harper (played by Adam Thomas Wright) — supporting

  Harper is Meg and Alec's son and Penny's brother. He moves with his family to the isolated house, where he becomes trapped in the old root cellar. Meg rushes to find him and warns him to get away from...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Alec → Harper (Family Father And Son) — Alec and Harper are father and son within the family facing the house's escalating disturbances.

  Harper is identified as Alec and Meg's son, and the family moves together to the country house.

• Alec → Penny (Family Father And Daughter) — Alec and Penny are father and daughter within the family facing the unsettling events at the house.

  Penny is identified as Alec and Meg's daughter, and the family moves together to the country house.

• Meg → Harper (Family Mother And Son) — Meg's protective bond with Harper drives her urgent response when he is trapped in the root cellar.

  Harper is Meg and Alec's son. When Harper becomes trapped in the root cellar, Meg rushes to find him and warns him to get away from the wall.

• Meg → Penny (Family Mother And Daughter) — Meg attempts to comfort and protect Penny, but cannot immediately leave the restoration job despite Penny's fear of the house.

  Penny is Meg and Alec's daughter. Meg tries to reassure Penny about the woman she says she saw and offers to send her to live with her grandfather.

• Meg → Alec (Family Married Couple) — Their marriage is strained as Alec becomes absorbed in his artwork and refuses to leave the house, while Meg tries to protect the family and keep him from facing the house alone.

  The plot describes Alec as Meg's husband. Meg confronts him about his disturbing sculpture and says she is unwilling to leave him alone.

• Penny → Harper (Family Siblings) — Penny responds to her brother's danger by calling for help when he is trapped in the root cellar.

  Penny and Harper are identified as Meg and Alec's children. When Harper becomes trapped, Penny calls for help.

Story Analysis

A family's restoration project becomes increasingly threatening as the old house's history, Penny's fears, and Alec's artistic fixation strain their plans.

Plot Progression

1. A New Home Under Strain — Meg brings her family to an isolated old house for a restoration job. The rundown property unsettles them, but Meg needs the income and Alec hopes to work on his art.
2. The House's Dark Story — Odd noises and unexplained events intensify the family's discomfort. Penny reports seeing a woman, while stories about Radcliffe and the hidden cellar give the house a troubling history.
3. Penny's Fear and Alec's Art — Penny finds an image that matches the woman she claims to have seen and begs to leave. Meanwhile, Alec becomes absorbed in new work, and Meg discovers a sculpture resembling Radcliffe's wife.
4. Plans Interrupted by Danger — Alec refuses to leave, while Meg considers taking the children to London but will not abandon him alone. Harper becomes trapped in the root cellar, and Meg rushes to search for him; the available acco...