Charles (Evan Peters), a teenager with physical challenges, lives with his dad in a dusty desert town. He's been beaten down so much in life, it's hard for him to feel much hope. When he meets a troubled runaway, Vickie (Juno Temple), he's intrigued, especially when he senses the vulnerability behind her tough exterior. Vickie's psychotic and abusive pimp, Skid (Kevin Alejandro), decides he doesn't like their relationship and constantly threatens them. To get away, Charles and Vickie travel to the California coast to snap photos of lighthouses. As the beautiful pictures develop, so do their feelings for each other, which sends Skid over the brink.