Fifteen-year-old Howie (Paul Franklin Dano), is a young New Jersey native whose life falls apart around him; his mother died in a car accident several years before and his father has fallen apart. When Howie gets into bad company with Gary (Billy Kay) and is persuaded to join him in a burglary, he finds himself in a situation he is not too comfortable with; the home they burgled is that of former marine Big John (Brian Cox) who once used Gary as a male prostitute and now has a taste for teenage boys. In fact Big John makes a proposition to Howie: pay off his debt by having sex with him. Despite Howie feeling uncomfortable with the situation, Big John comes to realise just how much emotional help Howie needs.
