After serving a five-year sentence, a bitter, violence-prone Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo, who also directs) is released from prison. He is hell-bent on convincing his dysfunctional parents that he is leading a respectable life and has spent the last five years doing top-secret CIA work. To back up his story, he impulsively kidnaps Layla (Christina Ricci) and forces her to pose as his girlfriend. Layla's understanding of the comical grimness of Billy's life leads him to explore new levels of redemption, acceptance and ultimately love.