Wen is the seven-year-old adopted daughter of Andrew and Eric. Born with a cleft palate that required multiple surgeries, she carries a faint facial scar and is acutely aware of when adults are being inauthentic. She is highly intelligent and sensitive, possessing an adventurous spirit that leads her to interact with the stranger, Leonard, before the terror begins.

Andrew is an English professor at Boston University and one of Wen's adoptive fathers. Having survived a brutal antigay attack thirteen years prior, an event that left him physically scarred, he maintains a highly defensive posture. Unyielding and rational, he meets the intruders' apocalyptic claims with anger, convinced they are simply bigoted zealots targeting his family.

Eric works as a market analyst and is Andrew's husband. He is naturally cautious and tends to be the more overprotective parent, earning him the playful nickname "Daddy Fun" from his family. Raised Catholic, his spiritual background makes him far more susceptible to the religious and apocalyptic rhetoric spouted by the intruders.

Leonard is an elementary school sports teacher from Chicago who serves as the imposing yet gentle-mannered leader of the intruders. Despite his massive physical presence, he speaks softly and expresses deep regret for the terror he causes. He genuinely believes that he is acting on divine visions to prevent the end of the world.

Redmond is a gas company worker from Massachusetts with a criminal record and a highly aggressive temperament. He sharply contrasts with the polite, apologetic demeanor of the other intruders, clearly enjoying the act of breaking into the cabin. His hostile energy immediately puts the family on edge and triggers Andrew's darkest suspicions.

Adriane works as a cook at a Mexican restaurant in Washington, DC, and arrives at the cabin fully committed to the group's doomsday prophecies. Though she initially attempts to present herself as an ordinary, friendly person, she possesses a dangerous, coiled energy. She quickly becomes agitated when the family refuses to cooperate with their demands.

Sabrina is a post-op nurse from Southern California who traveled to New Hampshire for this mission. She intentionally subverts the home invader archetype by displaying a faltering, highly nervous demeanor and genuine concern for the family's physical injuries. Despite her apologetic nature, she remains an active participant in holding the family hostage.

Jeff O'Bannon is a man from Andrew's past who brutally assaulted him in a bar, smashing a beer bottle over his head. Claiming he was simply drunk and looking for a fight, he legally denied any antigay prejudice. The memory of this violent encounter permanently alters Andrew's worldview and his sense of safety.