After serving a five-year sentence for a crime he didn't commit, a bitter, violence-prone Billy Brown (Vincent Gallo) is released from prison.

Billy is hell-bent on convincing his dysfunctional parents (Ben Gazzara and Anjelica Huston) that he is leading a respectable life and has spent his 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.

Bizarrely, Layla takes to the role with a great enthusiasm, and remains alongside Billy as he tries to impress his parents and take revenge on those he blames for his prison term.

Layla's understanding of the comical grimness of Billy's life leads him to explore new levels of redemption, acceptance and ultimately... love.