Grub, a young surfer, is caught in a conflict between his boss, former surf legend Claw, and his passion for Vanessa, a mysterious Maori woman tattooist. Driven by his desire to be tattooed and 'become a man', Grub ignores warnings that Vanessa could be 'Hine Nui Te Po', the Maori sea goddess and mythical 'Eater of Life'. Rebelling against Claw, he is drawn ever deeper into Vanessa's ambiguous world of pleasure and pain, fantasy and reality, until finally the young surfer must face death in order to understand life.