Character Relationship Map: Boy A

Characters

• Jack Burridge (played by Andrew Garfield) — protagonist

  Central protagonist released from a secure unit under an alias. He strives to be a good citizen, working and building relationships, but struggles with his hidden past. After his identity is exposed,...

• Michelle (played by Katie Lyons) — protagonist

  Office colleague Jack falls in love with. She becomes devastated upon learning Jack is actually Eric, sequestering herself at home. She later appears in Jack's imagination during his final journey to...

• Terry (played by Peter Mullan) — supporting

  Social worker guiding Jack's rehabilitation. He urges Jack to keep his past secret due to a £20,000 reward and safety concerns, arguing that Jack represents a new person separate from Eric.

• Chris (played by Shaun Evans) — supporting

  Jack's colleague and friend. He initially supports Jack but distances himself after Jack's criminal past is publicly revealed by Terry's son.

• Eric Wilson (played by Alfie Owen) — supporting

  The former identity and true name of Jack Burridge. As Eric, he committed a murder alongside Philip Craig in his youth, leading to his incarceration and the central conflict of his attempted rehabilit...

• Philip Craig (played by Taylor Doherty) — supporting

  Eric's childhood friend who rescued him from bullies. They committed a fatal assault together in their youth. Philip later dies in custody, leaving Eric with lasting trauma and guilt over their shared...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Eric Wilson → Terry (Professional Case Subject) — Terry's rehabilitation role is defined by Eric's former offense and present concealment.

  Terry works with Jack after release while knowing that Jack is Eric and that Eric has a criminal past.

• Jack Burridge → Chris (Professional Work Colleague) — Their workplace relationship develops into friendship before the revelation.

  Jack finds a job, befriends Chris, and initially receives his support as a colleague.

• Jack Burridge → Terry (Professional Rehabilitation Worker) — Terry acts as Jack's social worker and rehabilitation guide.

  Terry guides Jack after his release and helps him build a new life under an assumed name.

• Jack Burridge → Eric Wilson (Meta Alias And True Identity) — Jack Burridge is Eric Wilson's assumed identity during rehabilitation.

  Eric Wilson is released under the name Jack Burridge, and the film later reveals that Jack is actually Eric.

• Jack Burridge → Michelle (Romantic Love Interest) — Michelle becomes Jack's central romantic hope in his new life.

  Jack works with Michelle, falls in love with her, and considers telling her about his past.

Story Dynamics

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

• Eric Wilson → Michelle (Narrative Revealed Identity) — Eric's former identity becomes the force that changes Michelle's relationship with Jack.

  Michelle learns that Jack is actually Eric after information about his past is made public.

• Eric Wilson → Philip Craig (Social Childhood Friend) — Their childhood friendship becomes central to Eric's traumatic past.

  Eric befriends Philip, who rescues him from a group of bullies when they are young.

Story Analysis

A former juvenile offender tries to create a new identity, but public exposure forces his buried past back into the present.

Plot Progression

1. A Name Left Behind — Eric is released under the name Jack Burridge while flashbacks reconstruct his childhood bond with Philip. Their friendship leads toward the violent incident that defined Eric's past.
2. Violence Under The Bridge — Philip's confrontation with a girl escalates after he attacks her with a Stanley knife. Eric follows him under a bridge, where the girl is killed and the film withholds who delivered the fatal act.
3. Building Jack's Life — After custody and Philip's death, Terry guides Jack through rehabilitation. Jack finds work, befriends Chris, falls in love with Michelle, and is briefly celebrated as a hero.
4. The Past Breaks Through — Terry insists that Jack's past remain hidden because of public danger and the reward for finding him. Information about Eric is eventually exposed, destroying Jack's employment and relationships.
5. A Pier Without Answers — Jack escapes reporters and travels to Blackpool after losing his new life. An imagined meeting with Michelle precedes farewell messages and the final image of Jack at the pier edge.