Clementine is a cellist struggling to balance her demanding music career with family life. She experiences intense anxiety around auditions and frequently feels selfish regarding her professional ambitions. Raised by a mother who actively orchestrated her childhood friendships, Clementine carries quiet resentment toward her lifelong friend Erika, though she feels heavily obligated to maintain the bond.

Erika is an organized and precise accountant who grew up in a highly chaotic environment with a hoarding mother. She maintains an immaculate home and relies on strict routines to manage her anxiety. She is undergoing IVF treatments with her husband and views Clementine’s seemingly perfect life with a complicated mixture of intense admiration and lingering jealousy.

Sam is a businessman and dedicated father who heavily prioritizes his family's needs. He desires a third child, a preference he struggles to communicate effectively with his overwhelmed wife. He wrestles with modern expectations of masculinity, occasionally wondering what his life would look like in a more traditional, blue-collar role.

Oliver is an accountant and athletic man who regularly runs, swims, and plays squash. Having grew up with alcoholic parents, he attends Al-Anon meetings and maintains a rigid belief that people rarely change. He deeply loves Erika and acts as a stabilizing force for her daily anxieties.

Tiffany is a wealthy property developer who previously worked as an exotic dancer. She is confident in her sexuality and unapologetic about her past, embracing her success alongside her husband. She hosts the fateful barbecue, providing lavish food and drinks that create an atmosphere of sensual excess.

Vid is an extroverted electrician who enjoys the wealth he and his wife have accumulated. He boasts a larger-than-life personality, a deep appreciation for classical music, and a fanciful home featuring an impressive backyard fountain. He is fiercely devoted to his wife and immediately defends her against any perceived disrespect.

Holly is Clementine and Sam's five-year-old daughter, who collects rocks in a fancy purse. Ruby is their two-year-old toddler, who carries a kitchen whisk like a stuffed animal. They accompany their parents to a neighborhood barbecue, playing in the yard while the adults socialize.

Dakota is Tiffany and Vid's ten-year-old daughter. She is an avid reader who prefers the quiet company of her books to the chaotic play of younger children. During the barbecue, she retreats indoors to read. In the weeks following the event, her unusually polite and withdrawn behavior deeply worries her mother.

Pam is Clementine's mother and a former part-time social worker. She maintains strict standards for behavior and holds strong convictions about right and wrong. Years ago, she actively pressured Clementine to befriend Erika, establishing a dynamic of obligation that persists into the women's adulthood.

Sylvia is Erika's mother and a successful nurse who struggles with a severe hoarding disorder. Following the abrupt departure of her husband, she lost the ability to maintain a clean or organized home. She possesses an incendiary personality and frequently makes outlandish comments that provoke those around her.

Harry is an elderly, curmudgeonly neighbor who lives next door to Erika, Oliver, and Vid. He is intensely antisocial, frequently complains about noise, and is known to spit when frustrated by neighborhood children. He carries an unspoken history of personal loss that informs his bitter demeanor.