Character Relationship Map: Resurrection

Characters

• Margaret (played by Rebecca Hall) — protagonist

  Protagonist, a composed single mother and successful businesswoman whose psychological stability unravels due to past trauma and ongoing manipulation by her former partner.

• David (played by Tim Roth) — protagonist

  Antagonist and Margaret's former partner, a manipulative and abusive figure who broke her through cult-like demands and gaslighting, leading to her traumatic past and present crisis.

• Abbie (played by Grace Kaufman) — supporting

  Margaret's daughter preparing to leave for college, who witnesses her mother's erratic behavior and ultimately escapes to safety after a difficult period.

• Peter (played by Michael Esper) — supporting

  Margaret's married co-worker and affair partner, who becomes increasingly concerned for her well-being and attempts to guide her toward seeking professional help.

• Ben (played by Jackson Finnegan) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• David → Ben (Family Father) — David's connection to Ben is presented through Margaret's traumatic account and his disturbing claims.

  Margaret describes Ben as the son born during her relationship with David, and David claims that he ate Ben.

• Margaret → Ben (Family Mother) — Ben is Margaret's lost son and the emotional center of her trauma.

  Margaret says she gave birth to a son named Benjamin. At the end, she holds the baby and lets Abbie hold him.

• Margaret → David (Romantic Former Partner) — A past romantic relationship becomes the source of lasting trauma and renewed terror.

  Margaret says she met David at eighteen and moved in with him after two weeks. The plot describes him as her former partner.

• Margaret → Peter (Romantic Affair Partner) — An affair that becomes entangled with Margaret's deteriorating mental state.

  Margaret has an affair with Peter, her married co-worker, and attempts to have sex with him at work.

• Margaret → Abbie (Family Mother) — A deeply protective mother-daughter relationship strained by Margaret's psychological unraveling.

  The plot identifies Margaret as Abbie's single mother. Margaret tries to protect Abbie and later allows her to hold the baby.

Story Analysis

A traumatized mother confronts an abusive figure whose manipulation collapses the boundary between recovered memory, delusion, and horrific rebirth.

Plot Progression

1. A Tooth From the Past — Margaret appears to have a controlled life as a businesswoman and single mother. Strange clues, Abbie's accident, and David's appearance begin to destabilize her.
2. The Return of David — David repeatedly appears around Margaret and invokes Ben, while Margaret becomes increasingly protective and suspicious. Her attempts to obtain help fail, leading her to buy a gun.
3. The Buried Trauma — Margaret recounts David's abusive control and Ben's disappearance. A hotel key, Ben's blanket, and unexplained lactation deepen her conviction that David's story is real.
4. Kindness and Collapse — Margaret attempts to kill David but is overpowered and forced into another humiliating act. Abbie flees, while Peter's concern cannot break Margaret's isolation.
5. The Body Opens — Margaret prepares a farewell for Abbie and confronts David in a hotel room. She kills him and appears to recover a living fetus before Abbie leaves for college.