Character Relationship Map: Clinger

Characters

• Robert Klingher (played by Vincent Martella) — protagonist

  Fern's deceased ex-boyfriend who returns as a ghost. Initially clingy and possessive, he escalates to supernatural attacks against Fern and others. When Fern rejects their relationship due to the livi...

• Fern Petersen (played by June Laporte) — protagonist

  The high school student protagonist. She struggles to cope with her ex-boyfriend Robert's ghostly return. After realizing a relationship with him is impossible, she seeks help from her coach Valeria,...

• Valeria Kingsley (played by Alicia Monet Caldwell) — supporting

  Fern's track coach who secretly works as a ghost hunter. She assists Fern by providing specialized tools, including pills that grant the ability to see ghosts. Valeria actively joins Fern and her fami...

• Harlan (played by Taylor Clift) — supporting

  A football player who begins spending time with Fern. His presence highlights Fern's desire to move on from her toxic past. At the film's conclusion, he asks Fern out on a date, though she declines to...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Valeria Kingsley → Robert Klingher (Professional Hunter Vs Target) — Valeria's professional expertise directly opposes Robert's supernatural presence.
• Fern Petersen → Valeria Kingsley (Professional Mentor) — Valeria acts as a professional guide and supernatural expert for Fern.
• Fern Petersen → Harlan (Romantic Love Interest) — A new romantic possibility that triggers Robert's jealousy and escalation.
• Fern Petersen → Robert Klingher (Romantic Ex-Partner) — Former romantic partners separated by death and Fern's desire for independence.

Story Analysis

A young woman escapes a possessive supernatural past and chooses independence over a new romance.

Plot Progression

1. The Ghost Returns — A high school student faces the return of a former boyfriend as a ghost. She initially tries to preserve the relationship but recognizes the divide between the living and the dead.
2. Seeing The Dead — Supernatural attacks push the protagonist toward a ghost-hunting track coach. Tools and pills give her a way to perceive and resist the ghostly threat.
3. Love Turns Lethal — The protagonist rejects the possibility of a relationship with the ghost. He changes his goal and recruits other ghosts to kill her so they can be together.
4. Release From The Past — The protagonist's family and the ghost hunter join the fight. She confronts the ghost directly, persuades him to release her, and watches the ghosts vanish.