Character Relationship Map: Nightmare

Characters

• George Tatum (played by Baird Stafford) — protagonist

  The central figure of the film, a psychiatric patient released after an experimental brain reprogramming procedure. Plagued by repressed childhood trauma and violent nightmares, he embarks on a killin...

• Susan Temper (played by Sharon Smith) — protagonist

  George's ex-wife and a struggling single mother in Florida. She is largely unaware of the stalking and murders committed by her ex-husband until the violent climax, where she later hysterically identi...

• Bob Rosen (played by Mik Cribben) — supporting

  Susan's current boyfriend who provides companionship during her struggles as a single mother. He is killed by George during the home invasion alongside the babysitter.

• George's Father (played by William Kirksey) — supporting

  George's father, whose sadomasochistic lifestyle is revealed through George's repressed memories. He is the victim of a brutal childhood axe murder committed by his own son, an act that fuels George's...

• George's Mother (played by Christina Keefe) — supporting

  George's mother, depicted in flashbacks as engaging in a sadomasochistic encounter with George's father. She is brutally murdered by Young George with an axe, an event central to George's repressed ch...

Canonical Relationships

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

• George's Mother → George Tatum (mother)
• George's Father → George Tatum (father)
• Susan Temper → Bob Rosen (Romantic Partners) — Bob is Susan's current romantic partner after her separation from George.

  The plot states that Susan is in a relationship with her boyfriend, Bob Rosen.

• George Tatum → Susan Temper (Family Ex-Spouses) — George and Susan were previously married and remain connected through their family.

  The plot identifies Susan Temper as George Tatum's ex-wife. George travels to Florida, where Susan lives with their children.

Story Dynamics

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

• George Tatum → Bob Rosen (Conflict Murderous Enemy) — George's violent intrusion directly ends Bob's life.

  George infiltrates Susan's house and murders Bob with a rock pick during the nighttime attack.

Story Analysis

A supposedly reformed psychiatric patient is consumed by buried trauma and returns to terrorize his former family before facing a violent end.

Plot Progression

1. Reprogrammed but Haunted — George leaves psychiatric incarceration after an experimental brain procedure. His nightmares and a Times Square encounter begin restoring violent childhood memories.
2. The Road South — George obtains a car and travels toward Susan's Florida home. A breakdown in Myrtle Beach precedes his first known murder after release.
3. Warnings from the Shadows — Susan manages her Florida household while disturbing calls begin. George approaches, and warnings about a strange follower are dismissed.
4. The House Under Siege — After further murders, George enters Susan's home while she is away. Bob is killed, and the children face a masked pursuit upstairs.
5. Memory at the End — George is shot eight times and recovers the memory behind his nightmares as he dies. Susan identifies his body, followed by C.J.'s knowing wink.