Character Relationship Map: Gully

Characters

• Jesse (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr.) — protagonist

  Jesse is one of three lifelong friends living in an impoverished area of Los Angeles. Abuse by his stepfather has left him mute for years, but he joins Calvin and Nicky in escalating acts of violence....

• Calvin (played by Jacob Latimore) — protagonist

  Calvin is Jesse and Nicky's lifelong friend, a traumatized and self-destructive teenager who refuses to take his medication despite high academic scores. He proposes taking their violent video game ou...

• Nicky (played by Charlie Plummer) — supporting

  Nicky is Jesse and Calvin's lifelong friend and may soon become a father with Keisha, whose family rejects him. Haunted by seeing his father commit severe violence, he participates in the trio's attac...

• Keisha (played by Zoë Renee) — supporting

  Keisha is Nicky's partner and may be pregnant with his child. Her family opposes Nicky because they view him as white trash, and her mother chases him away when he comes to the house. This rejection f...

• Greg (played by Jonathan Majors) — supporting

  Greg is a recently released prisoner who struggles to adjust to life outside prison and searches for legitimate work by mowing neighborhood lawns. He rejects an acquaintance's shady offer to stay clea...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Nicky → Keisha (Romantic Partner) — Their relationship is strained by pregnancy and opposition from Keisha's family.

  The plot says Nicky may soon become a father, while Keisha's family opposes his relationship with her.

Story Dynamics

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

• Greg → Nicky (Social Friend) — Greg belongs to the same broader friendship circle as Nicky.

  Greg, Jesse, and Calvin are connected through the neighborhood's group of troubled friends, and the plot identifies the trio's shared witnessing of a...

• Greg → Calvin (Social Friend) — Greg recognizes Calvin's distress and attempts to remain connected to him.

  Greg tells Calvin what he witnessed at Jesse's home. He later climbs beside Calvin on the scaffolding and listens to Calvin discuss his dream of flyin...

• Greg → Jesse (Alliance Supportive Friend) — Greg becomes an important source of information and support for Jesse.

  Greg accidentally witnesses the abuse at Jesse's home and hurries away to tell Calvin. After Calvin's death, Greg seeks Jesse out and drives him to th...

• Calvin → Nicky (Social Lifelong Friend) — Their friendship develops into a dangerous partnership during the retaliation.

  The three young men are identified as lifelong friends, and Calvin and Nicky jointly support Jesse and later act together against Jesse's stepfather.

• Jesse → Nicky (Social Lifelong Friend) — Nicky is one of Jesse's closest companions and provides direct emotional support.

  Jesse, Calvin, and Nicky are described as lifelong friends. Nicky stays overnight with Jesse and Calvin to support him after his abuse is revealed.

• Jesse → Calvin (Social Lifelong Friend) — Their lifelong friendship makes Calvin's death and Jesse's final breakdown especially significant.

  The plot states that Jesse, Calvin, and Nicky are lifelong friends. Calvin and Jesse also repeatedly act together during the escalating violence and l...

Story Analysis

Three lifelong friends transform shared trauma into escalating violence before grief finally forces Jesse to break his silence.

Plot Progression

1. Trauma Beneath the Surface — The film introduces Jesse, Calvin, Nicky, and Greg as young men shaped by poverty, abuse, incarceration, and unresolved trauma. Nicky faces romantic and family pressure while Calvin rejects treatment.
2. Violence Becomes a Game — Calvin proposes taking their violent video game personas into the streets. The friends destroy a video store, assault strangers, and steal a vehicle while imagining that they are earning points.
3. The Wound Is Exposed — Greg accidentally witnesses the abuse that explains Jesse's silence and informs Calvin. Jesse's friends comfort him, but their loyalty redirects the group's violence toward retaliation.
4. Retaliation Without Limits — Calvin becomes increasingly detached after a near collision destroys his skateboard. Despite Greg's attempt to connect with him, Calvin and Nicky carry out a brutal attack connected to Jesse's abuse.
5. Loss and Release — Nicky is arrested, and Calvin is killed by men seeking revenge for the stolen pickup. Greg drives Jesse to the beach, where Jesse finally expresses the anguish he has suppressed for years.