Bruce, Father and Husband, is a dark, sadistic man. His relationship with his family is defined by control games, violence, jealousy and withholding emotional contact and support.
Bruce’s deteriorating mental state and drinking problem only serve to escalate his volatile personality to dangerous, often explosive levels – with the brunt of these explosions being borne by his family – something which Bruce feels he is entitled to do.

Eloise is a Mother and severely down-trodden abuse victim. Prolonged exposure to the constant barrage of abuse from her husband has caused Eloise -- a once vibrant woman -- to dissolve into a hopeless, vacant shell of her former self. Incapable of supporting her son emotionally, Eloise does her best to protect him physically by taking the major brunt of the abuse from their tormentor – Bruce.

Michael Grey is an enigmatic, introverted, yet quietly confident boy who lives in the apartment next to the Ryan Family. Michael is the definition of a ‘latch-key kid’, spending the majority of his days alone in his family’s apartment.