Natasha is a Jamaican teenager living as an undocumented immigrant in New York City. Facing forced removal from the United States the following day, she spends her time desperately seeking last-minute legal assistance. She places her trust in science, facts, and observable data, remaining highly skeptical of abstract concepts like destiny, fate, and romantic love.

Daniel is a Korean-American teenager facing immense pressure from his parents to attend Yale and become a doctor. He secretly writes poetry in a moleskin notebook and desperately wants a life filled with passion rather than practical obligation. When he meets Natasha, he decides to prove to her that falling in love can be scientifically generated in a single day.

Samuel is Natasha's father, a Jamaican immigrant who moved his family to New York to pursue a career as a Broadway actor. Frustrated by repeated rejections and a sense of failure in America, he projects his disappointment onto his wife and children. His reckless behavior directly causes the family's impending forced removal from the United States.

Patricia is Natasha's mother, a hardworking woman exhausted by the struggle of maintaining a family in a one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment. She has lost all patience for her husband's artistic dreams and strictly demands that he face the harsh reality of their financial and legal situation.

Charlie is Daniel's older brother, recently suspended from Harvard University. Although he presents a conventionally handsome and successful facade that appeals to American standards, he directs cruel and racist hostility toward Daniel and others to cope with his own self-hatred regarding his Korean heritage.

Daniel and Charlie's father, a South Korean immigrant who built a business selling hair products in Harlem. Driven by traumatic childhood memories of extreme poverty in Korea, he strictly enforces a life path for his sons that demands Ivy League education and high-paying medical careers, dismissing any artistic aspirations.

Daniel and Charlie's mother, a South Korean immigrant who manages the household while enforcing strict academic expectations on her sons. Despite her current demanding nature, she once possessed artistic talent as a painter, a passion she abandoned to raise her family in America.

A successful immigration attorney with an office in the city. He serves as both Natasha's last hope for a legal appeal against her deportation and the Yale alumni interviewer assigned to Daniel. His professional day is derailed by a traffic accident and his complicated personal life.

A lonely security guard working at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services building. She struggles with severe depression and suicidal thoughts, desperately seeking a reason to connect with the people who pass through her security line.

The receptionist at Jeremy Fitzgerald's office. She helps Natasha with her intake forms and harbors a deep, secret romantic affection for her married boss, viewing herself as an unlikely candidate for a fairy-tale romance.

An immigration lawyer who briefly reviews Natasha's case. He coldly informs her that there is nothing left to do to stop the deportation, casually using Jamaican slang in a way that offends her, though he eventually provides her with Jeremy Fitzgerald's contact information.

Natasha's younger brother, who was born in the United States after the family immigrated. Unaware of the gravity of the situation, he views the forced move to Jamaica as an exciting new adventure rather than a tragic uprooting.

A grief-stricken driver who drinks heavily to cope with the loss of his daughter to a texting driver. His impaired driving creates dangerous situations for pedestrians in the city, leading to critical moments for the main characters.

Natasha's ex-boyfriend, whom she initially bonded with over AP Physics. He ruined their relationship by cheating on her, an act that solidified Natasha's cynical view that love is merely a temporary chemical reaction.

Rob's current girlfriend, the girl he cheated on Natasha with. She is caught shoplifting records during a tense encounter with Natasha and Daniel.

Natasha's best friend who has recently moved to California for college. She attempts to keep in touch and monitor Natasha's legal situation via text messages throughout the day.

An evangelical subway conductor who found religious salvation after a difficult divorce. He uses his position to preach to passengers about finding a higher purpose, prompting Daniel to alter his route.

A server who harbors deep resentment toward non-Koreans due to her own son's marriage to a white woman. She directs her bitterness at Daniel and Natasha during their meal.

A security guard who permits Daniel and Natasha access to the building's roof. He chain-smokes as a destructive coping mechanism following the recent death of his wife to cancer.