Character Relationship Map: XXY

Characters

• Alex (played by Inés Efrón) — protagonist

  Alex is a 15-year-old intersex person who has been living as female while taking medication to suppress masculine development. After stopping the medication, Alex explores a relationship with Álvaro,...

• Álvaro (played by Martín Piroyansky) — protagonist

  Álvaro is the teenage son of Ramiro and Erika, who visit Alex's family from Argentina. He begins a romantic and sexual relationship with Alex, accepts that he did not dislike their encounter, and late...

• Kraken (played by Ricardo Darín) — supporting

  Kraken is Alex's father and a marine biologist who treats wounded animals brought by fishermen. After discovering Alex's encounter with Álvaro and witnessing the consequences of the assault, he realiz...

• Suli (played by Valeria Bertuccelli) — supporting

  Suli is Alex's mother, who moved with the family to Uruguay to protect Alex from discrimination. She invites Ramiro, Erika, and Álvaro for a visit intending to discuss sex reassignment surgery, hoping...

• Vando (played by Luciano Nóbile) — supporting

  Vando is Alex's former friend in the seaside village. The summary does not state that Vando personally participates in the assault, but three boys identified as his friends forcibly expose Alex to ins...

• Saul (played by Lucas Escariz) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Kraken → Álvaro (Power Protective Observer) — Kraken's parental authority intrudes on Alex and Álvaro's private intimacy.

  Kraken sees Alex and Álvaro through the door during their sexual encounter and interrupts the situation.

• Alex → Álvaro (Romantic Partner) — Their intense and uncertain romance becomes the film's central emotional bond.

  Alex and Álvaro begin a relationship, have a sexual encounter, and later tell each other that they have fallen in love.

• Kraken → Suli (Family Co-parent) — They share responsibility for Alex, although they differ over how much control to exert.

  Kraken and Suli moved with Alex to Uruguay and jointly sheltered her from discrimination and rigid gender expectations.

• Alex → Kraken (Family Daughter) — A central parent-child relationship shaped by protection, fear, and growing respect for Alex's autonomy.

  Kraken is identified as Alex's father, and Alex takes his hand while walking away with the family at the end.

• Suli → Alex (Family Mother) — Suli loves Alex but initially tries to guide her toward a female identity and surgery.

  Suli is presented as Alex's mother and invites a surgeon and his family to discuss possible sex reassignment surgery for Alex.

Story Dynamics

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

• Alex → Vando (Social Former Friend) — Their former friendship is part of the social environment surrounding Alex's exposure and vulnerability.

  The assaulting boys are identified as friends of Vando, who is described as Alex's former friend.

• Saul → Alex (Alliance Indirect Supporter) — Saul supports Alex indirectly by influencing her father's response.

  Saul's advice to Kraken leads him to return with the understanding that Alex must make her own decision.

• Kraken → Saul (Social Advice Seeker) — Kraken turns to Saul for perspective on Alex's right to decide for herself.

  After witnessing Alex and Álvaro, Kraken seeks advice from a transgender man he had read about in newspapers years earlier; the listed character corre...

Story Analysis

Alex confronts social pressure, bodily categorization, and intimate uncertainty while claiming the right to define her own identity.

Plot Progression

1. A Secret Change — Alex stops taking medication while living with her parents in a sheltered Uruguayan coastal village. Suli secretly prepares a discussion about surgery, creating tension between parental plans and Alex...
2. Desire At The Shore — Alex and Álvaro form a romantic connection during his visit. Their sexual encounter is interrupted when Kraken sees them, leaving both teenagers uncertain but emotionally connected.
3. A Father's Reconsideration — Kraken seeks Saul's perspective after witnessing Alex's intimacy. Saul's words help him understand that Alex, rather than her parents, must decide her future.
4. Exposure And Defiance — Village boys assault Alex by trying to expose her body. The aftermath forces a discussion about public disclosure, medication, surgery, and the limits of binary choices.
5. The Unfinished Farewell — Álvaro prepares to leave for Buenos Aires, but privately meets Alex one last time. Their declarations of love culminate in Alex showing him her genitalia before the family walks away together.