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Diana
Diana Walter
Portrayed By: Alicia Vela-Bailey
A young girl with a skin condition that Sophie met at a mental institution. She died due to an experiment going awry, and her spirit had since latched itself onto Sophie.
- Adaptational Ugliness: Zig-Zagged. While a freeze-frame bonus show's Diana's true form to be that of a nightmarish hag, the original short film's counterpart seemed to be an otherwise normal woman sporting a HELL of an Nightmare Face. It's up to the viewer which one is scarier.
- Adaptational Wimp: The fact that she can't exist in the light is the crux of the entire movie. In the original short film, however, this only seems to be the case, until the very last shot of the film reveals she has no weakness to the light whatsoever.
- All Take and No Give: Diana only exists in the physical world due to her parasitically feeding on Sophie. As such, their relationship is rocky at best with Diana benefiting from Sophie's misfortune, to abusive when Sophie's children come into the equation.
- Ax-Crazy: She inflicted a Psychic-Assisted Suicide on her father for shits and giggles, grievously wounded Sophie after hearing that she was to be released, and after her death and transformation, became little more than a feral beast maiming and slaughtering all in her path.
- Berserk Button: Trying to help Sophie with her illness immediately sets Diana off, and of course she reacts violently to the light.
- Big Bad: Of the film, and is stated to also be the main antagonist of the upcoming sequel despite Sophie committing suicide to save her two children from her.
- Can't Live Without You: After the experiment, Diana is tied to Sophie and can't exist if she isn't in the throes of her mental illness.
- Control Freak: She maintains an iron grip over Sophie's life, killing or driving away everyone else until it's only her and Sophie.
- Cop Killer: Killed the two police officers called to investigate a disturbance.
- Creepy Child: She caused her own father to kill himself from her mind games.
- Enfant Terrible: The experiment only turned Diana into a literal monster; as a child, she was already cruel and sadistic. She drove her father to commit suicide, became a False Friend to Sophie and eventually broke her legs.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: When she talks her voice is hissing and guttural. This is probably caused by the damage of the vocal chords caused by her exposure to bright light.
- Humanoid Abomination: Before her treatment, she was but a girl, albeit with Psychic Powers, an extreme weakness to sunlight, and a sick sense of humour, but afterwards, she became a disfigured, parasitic and deranged Living Shadow with murderous, bestial urges who anchors herself to the world of the living by fostering and feeding upon madness. Specifically, Sophie’s.
- It Can Think: Lures the two kids into a trap, and had written sadistic messages, taunting Rebecca that she was the one who murdered her father years ago.
- Living Shadow: Became this after her death.
- Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl: Obviously inspired by this trope, Although it's unclear is she is an onryo, Her hair is mostly obscuring her face and is a Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette which envokes this trope.
- Villainous Breakdown: Dashes at Sophie in a distressed, angry fashion when she was about to shoot herself.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Implied. Even though she was a definite head-case while human, when we see her later post-transformation she’s now nothing more than a feral beast in both body and mind.
- Would Hurt a Child: At first, she seemed more fine with scaring Sophie's children, but it escalates to that point.
- Was Once a Man: Previously an anomalous but otherwise perfectly human little girl, now a warped, insane abomination.
- Yandere: For Sophie. After all, she needs her to survive.
Sophie
Sophie
Portrayed By: Maria Bello
The mother of Rebecca and Martin.
- Cartwright Curse: Diana killed both of her husbands. A police detective Rebecca talks to in a deleted scene picks up on this and speculates that she's a Black Widow.
- Heroic Suicide/Heroic Sacrifice: Shoots herself in the head in order to save her children from Diana.
- Sanity Slippage: Diana has really done a number on her.
Rebecca
Rebecca
Portrayed By: Teresa Palmer & Amiah Miller
The main protagonist of the film. Sophie's daughter.
- Amateur Sleuth: She investigates Diana's past, taking up after Paul.
- Big Sister Instinct: Cares deeply for Martins's welfare and quickly takes him into her home to keep him safe. Even before realizing that there's a supernatural threat, she shows some concern that her spooky rock posters might disturb Martin.
- The Cassandra: She is heavily implied to have been mocked or ignored whenever she told people about her childhood experiences with Diana.Rebecca: (to Martin): I'm going to tell you something no one ever told me. I believe you.
- Cool Big Sis: She cares deeply about her brother and is always there for him, as well as doing smaller stuff like helping comb his hair. Even before he started being terrorized by Diana, she seems to have been a part of his life, despite her feud with their mother, appearing in a picture with him where he wears a Halloween costume, and they are both smiling.
- Crazy-Prepared: She puts out all kinds of precautions against Diana, like taping light switches in and hiding flashlights around the house.
- Dark Is Not Evil: She wears lots of dark clothing and has some horror posters on her wall but is a good person.
- Goth: Subverted. While she blasts loud music all night, wears black clothing for almost 95% of her screen time, has all manners of heavy metal band posters, paraphernalia and even pictures of devils, vampires and whatnot on her walls, she is actually more of a young woman who's really into punk and grungy stuff instead.
- High-Heel Power: Wears heeled boots And is a proactive force against Diana.
- Informed Attribute: She has a bong in her apartment but never shows any other indications of using marijuana, making it possible its for some other herbal supplement or belongs to Bret.
- Ms. Fanservice: She's introduced in her lingerie and has a couple of scenes with just t-shirts and shorts on afterwards.
- Not Staying for Breakfast: Inverted. Shess the one who asks her boyfriend not to stay the night early in the movie.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Has some hot and cold moments towards Bret.
- Unicorn: She has a stuffed unicorn as a toy when she was a kid.
Martin
Martin
Portrayed By: Gabriel Bateman
Rebecca's half-brother.
- Genre Savvy: He sleeps in a bathtub with the lights on to avoid the light-hating ghost Diana.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He quickly asks to stay with his sister in hopes of avoiding Diana and packs a bag almost before she decides to take him, although he wants to ultimately help his mother rather than leave her behind for good.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: He reminds his mom to take her meds and tells Becca they need to stay there to help her.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: He is wearily savvy as a result of his dead father and troubled mother.
Bret
Bret
Portrayed By: Alexander DiPersia
Rebecca's boyfriend.
- Hell-Bent for Leather: He has a motorcycle jacket.
- Improbable Weapon User: He uses the glare from his iPhone and headlights against Diana.
- Perma-Stubble: He's a bit scruffy.
- Understanding Boyfriend: H'’s a bit confused by everything but takes it supportively and in stride.
Paul
Paul
Portrayed By: Billy Burke
Martin's father.
- Amateur Sleuth: He is a normal businessman who investigated Diana.
- Batter Up!:He tTries to use a baseball bat against Diana.
- Benevolent Boss: He seems fairly nice to his assistant Esther.
- Decoy Protagonist: He's the main focus of the first scene and only the first scene.
- Good Parents: He takes calls from his son, apologizes for working late, talks to him gently, and shows concern over how Martin worries about his mother.
- Not Now, Kiddo: He initially asks Esther to let him finish his phone call as he talks to Martin and then is slightly confused by her claims of what she saw.
- Spotting the Thread: He quickly notices Diana is vulnerable to light and tries to get to an area with more of it.
Emma
Emma
Portrayed By: Andi Osho
The local social worker.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: She agrees that Martin shows signs of being in a troubled situation but points out that there is currently no (explainable) cause to take him away from Sophia without a prolonged and painful legal battle and a change in Rebecca's lifestyle, advising her to reflect on this before making a decision. The extended ending also has her helping Rebecca be declared Martin's guardian.
Esther
Esther
Portrayed By: Loretta Losten
Paul's assistant at his textile plant.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: She hurries away after seeing signs of Diana.
Officers Andrews and Gomez
Officers Andrews and Gomez
Portrayed By: Rolando Bryce and Maria Russell
- Dead Partner: It's short-lived, given her own fate, but Gomez's reaction to seeing Andrews' body has elements of this.
- Red Shirt: They don't get much development and are quickly attacked after arriving at the house.
