Joe Bolton, back home from college for summer break, is invited by a girl he had a crush on in high school, Julien Baker, to star in a movie she's directing. Things become messy when Julien's sadistic boyfriend with aphantasia, Jack, and Julien's long-time lesbian hikikomori crush, Jill, get involved. Joe finds his life turning into a chaotic art piece as reality and film intertwine. When Julien goes missing, Joe sets out on a mission to find her, leading him into the violent, seedy underbelly of his hometown.