In the 1950s, two rookie detectives set out to solve a homicide, only to find themselves in an alternate reality made up of their worst nightmares.

Trimalchio of the studio backlot. Like a latter-day saturnalia, the studio system promised dazzling reversals of fortune, dressing destitute, aspiring performers in momentary glory. But amid the glamor of a film empire at its height, two performers, Bette and Rita, find the ennui of decadence tends toward petty cruelty, and even love may be an insufficient antidote, just another snake bite oil cure.

A teenage girl deals with the emotional distress of moving to college and leaving behind her severely anorexic sister. And, as the time to say goodbye approaches, the future of their relationship is put to test.