Harley and her boyfriend Ilya drift through the streets of New York, caught in the precarious world of heroin addiction. As their lives become increasingly self-destructive, they spiral toward an inevitable catastrophe.
The film originated when the Safdie brothers encountered Arielle Holmes, who had experienced homelessness and drug addiction as a teenager. Holmes portrays a character based on her own life, delivering a striking and daring performance alongside a cast of both professional and nonprofessional actors. The camera closely follows the everyday lives of those wandering the streets of New York, vividly capturing the precarious circumstances they face. The film also marks an early showcase of the pulsating electronic soundtrack that would become a signature element of the Safdie brothers' subsequent collaborations.