Two whimsical, aimless thugs harass and assault women, steal, murder, and alternately charm, fight, or sprint their way out of trouble. They take whatever the bourgeoisie holds dear, whether it’s cars, peace of mind, or daughters. Marie-Ange, a jaded, passive hairdresser, joins them as lover, cook, and mother confessor. She’s on her own search for seemingly unattainable sexual pleasure.

In industrial Lyon of the early '50s, a widowed bar-owner listens to radio crime serials, reads detective magazines, and grieves for her daughter, killed two years earlier in a mineshaft accident. Consumed by her loss and unwilling to face the truth, the bar-owner becomes suspicious of the grim patrons in her drab tavern, seeking someone to blame as she contemplates revenge.