Alison is an imaginative 14-year-old girl with a sunny disposition who takes ballet. She possesses an innate belief in the goodness of people and pities her neighbor Kyle for his strict home life. She loves her body, her mind, and the idea of taking charge of her own future.

Kyle is a teenage boy living next door to Alison. He runs cross country and lives under an intensely strict set of rules enforced by his parents. Though he appears compliant outwardly, he rebels internally by imagining arguments and inventing elaborate curses to maintain his sense of self.

An unnamed man who attempts to abduct Alison. He rationalizes his behavior through power fantasies and comparisons to kings taking what is theirs by right. He carries trauma from his own childhood, which fuels his aggressive impulses and delusions.

Marie is an upper-middle-class mother intent on providing her children with a perfect childhood to compensate for her own traumatic upbringing. She studies her son's video games to relate to him and congratulates herself on her parenting. Her performative grace masks a deep intolerance for situations that remind her of her past.

Callie is a mother struggling with poverty and a chaotic household. She resorts to chaining her son Bo to a tree to keep him safe while allowing him to enjoy the outdoors. She desperately tries to rehome a puppy to protect it from her husband's harsh pragmatism regarding extra animals.

Jeff is an inmate and test subject at the Spiderhead facility. He carries intense guilt over a past tragedy. He is forced to endure chemical manipulation that alters his capacity for love, joy, and despair, pushing him to question the nature of his own emotions and morality.

Dr. Abnesti is the handler at the Spiderhead facility. He uses a mix of corporate friendliness, scientific rationalization, and implied threats to maintain control over his test subjects. He views the manipulation of human emotion as a breakthrough, prioritizing data over the wellbeing of the prisoners.

Todd is a supervisor who uses passive-aggressive corporate language to threaten his employees. He masks the horrific nature of their work with folksy anecdotes and euphemisms about "cleaning the shelf," demanding high productivity and an upbeat attitude despite the grim reality of their tasks.

Al Roosten is a local shop owner struggling with intense self-loathing and insecurity. He constantly seeks validation and imagines elaborate scenarios where he is praised and respected. When faced with pity or kindness from those he perceives as having higher social status, he reacts with secret vindictiveness.

An unnamed, lower-middle-class father who feels deeply inadequate about his family's financial standing. He is obsessed with providing status symbols for his children. Winning a scratch-off ticket gives him the means to purchase a display of Semplica Girls, an unsettling yard ornament consisting of living women.

Mikey is a recently returned military veteran. He struggles to reintegrate into civilian life, grappling with the trauma of his service and the alienation he feels from his family and society. He relies on instinctual physical reactions to handle complex emotional situations.

Ted is a longtime janitor at a medieval-themed attraction who is suddenly promoted to Pacing Guard. When given a performance-enhancing drug called KnightLyfe, he adopts a chivalric persona with absolute moral certainty, compelling him to view a coworker's situation through an intense, idealized lens.

Don Murray is the boss at the medieval attraction. He uses his corporate power and financial incentives to cover up his sexual assault, promoting both the victim and the witness to maintain silence.

Robin is a young boy with a rich imagination who spends his time outside pretending to fight fictional creatures called Nethers. He longs to be a hero and impress a girl from his class. When he spots a man acting strangely in the freezing weather, his desire to do the right thing pushes him into a dangerous situation.

Don Eber is a middle-aged man suffering from a terminal brain tumor that affects his language centers. Terrified of a prolonged decline that would burden his family, he ventures into the freezing woods to end his life. His grim determination is interrupted when he witnesses Robin fall through the ice.

Bo is Callie's son, who has a mental disability. He is restless and miserable when kept indoors, leading his mother to find unconventional ways to let him play outside safely.

Heather is a prisoner and test subject at the Spiderhead facility. She is subjected to experimental drugs that force her into temporary romantic feelings, as well as chemicals that induce horrific emotional pain.

Rachel is another prisoner at Spiderhead with a history of addiction and violent crime. She dances absently in her workroom, unaware of the severe pain the administrators plan to inflict upon her.

Andy is an employee who recently doubled his productivity before experiencing a severe drop in performance and apparent depression. His supervisor uses his situation to implicitly threaten the rest of the staff.

Larry Donfrey is a successful realtor participating in the same bachelor auction as Al. He attempts to offer genuine kindness and comfort to Al, unaware that his affluence and charity only provoke Al's deep-seated anger. He is preparing for his daughter to undergo a significant surgery.

Pam is the narrator's wife, who shares his anxiety about their economic position and social standing. She tries to manage the family's expectations but ultimately supports the decision to spend their sudden windfall on an extravagant party display.

Eva is the narrator's youngest daughter. Unlike the rest of her family, she finds the concept of the Semplica Girls disturbing and horrifying. She possesses a strong moral compass and is willing to take bold action when pushed by her convictions.

Lilly is the narrator's oldest daughter, currently entering a socially conscious phase. She feels the sting of class disparity keenly and desires the affluent lifestyle modeled by her wealthy friends.

Ma is Mikey's mother, an older woman facing serious health issues and imminent eviction. She uses the word "beeping" instead of swearing to keep her church job and struggles to maintain her dignity while relying on her new partner and managing her complicated family dynamics.

Harris is Ma's unemployed partner. He is morbidly curious about Mikey's wartime experiences, asking inappropriate questions while dealing with his own impending eviction alongside Ma.

Renee is Mikey's sister, newly married and deeply concerned with appearances. She is frightened by her brother's return and goes to great lengths to keep him separated from her new family, prioritizing her in-laws' opinions over her brother's need for connection.

Joy is Mikey's ex-wife who has moved on with a new husband during Mikey's deployment. She cautiously handles Mikey's return, trying to balance his desire to see their children with his unpredictable behavior.

Evan is Joy's new husband. He is defensive and territorial, firmly refusing Mikey entry into the house while attempting to establish boundaries with the volatile returning veteran.

Martha is a worker at the attraction who is assaulted by her boss. Because she needs her job and wants to protect her relationship, she accepts hush money and a promotion, preferring to handle the trauma privately rather than face a public scandal.

Molly is Don Eber's wife. Unaware of his intentions to wander into the cold, she represents the family and community connection that Don fears burdening but ultimately relies upon.