American Beauty (1999 film) as Lester and Angela get closer, finally taking the roses—and thus Carolyn—out of the shot. Lester's epiphany at the end of the film is expressed by rain and the use of red, building to a crescendo that is a deliberate contrast to the release Lester feels. The constant use of red "lulls [the audience] subliminally" into becoming used to it; consequently, it leaves the audience unprepared when Lester is shot and his blood spatters on the wall. Pennington argues that "American Beauty" defines its characters through their sexuality. Lester's attempts to relive his youth are a direct result of his
Characters in Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective "Wired"s Jason Schreier found numerous similarities between the two series' characters, calling Sissel "endearing in his brutal honesty and loyalty" and the other characters memorable, while also praising the dialogue as fantastic. "The Telegraph"s Tom Hoggins, while calling the characters unique, noted the similarities between the two cast of characters, noting the "colour playfulness" that is "thickly laced with dark tragedy and built on strong character." GameSpot's Carolyn Petit called the characters memorable, attributing this to their "snappy dialogue". "Official Nintendo Magazine"s Chris Scullion called the characters colourful, and praised the game's script. GamesRadar's Carolyn Gudmundson called the characters "many-layered",