Single mother Billy lives with her two children, Bones and Franky, in Lost River, a desolate place that is increasingly becoming a ghost town as the housing crisis drives residents away. When Billy falls behind on her mortgage payments, she takes a chance on an idea from bank manager Dave. He tells her about a way to make ends meet for the time being: In order not to lose her house, Billy should work in his nightclub. There she not only meets the mysterious Cat, but ultimately puts her own life at risk. While she descends more and more into a morbid and gloomy underworld, her son Bones steals valuable copper wire from the walls of abandoned houses. However, the brutal Bully, who sees himself as the ruler of the city, soon has it in for him, which also puts Bones' friendly neighbor girl Rat in danger.