Barton Fink, portrayed by John Turturro, is a struggling playwright whose recent Broadway debut has earned him favorable reviews. Despite this success, he grapples with self-doubt regarding his abilities. When he's summoned to Hollywood to write screenplays, he reluctantly accepts the opportunity. Upon his arrival at the Earle Hotel—a grand establishment with an unsettling ambiance—he is greeted by Chet, the manager and receptionist played by Steve Buscemi, who hands him the key to his room.
Inside the hotel, Fink quickly finds himself unsettled by various disturbances. From the incessant noise of a neighboring guest to the haunting image of a woman at the beach on his wall, these distractions heighten his anxiety. As he sits down to write, he faces an immense creative block, unable to progress beyond the initial lines of his screenplay. In a futile attempt to focus, he starts peeling the frayed wallpaper, only for the heat to complicate matters further. A mosquito bite leads to an awkward moment during his job interview with Jack Lipnick, played by John Goodman, the domineering head of Universal Pictures.
Lipnick is a bombastic character, dismissing the notion that his films are merely "b-movies." He tasks Fink with drafting a boxing film starring Wallace Beery, yet Fink's artistic paralysis continues. The Universal project is secured, and despite his struggles, he seeks assistance from Ben Geisler, who offers to send over images from another project to motivate him—this, however, proves ineffective.
Back at the Earle, Fink's isolation is punctuated by another visitor: his loud neighbor, Charlie Meadows, who introduces himself as a successful insurance salesman. Charlie, played by John Goodman, offers a peculiar source of inspiration, suggesting Fink reach out to successful writers in the area. In a bizarre moment, their shoes are exchanged, leading to an unusual camaraderie.
Fink's admiration for fellow writer W. P. Mayhew, played by John Mahoney, leads him to an encounter that spirals out of control. Although Mayhew is inebriated and volatile, Fink's desperation pushes him to seek help. A tense interaction with Mayhew’s assistant, Audrey Taylor, played by Judy Davis, culminates in an unexpected night together in Fink's suffocatingly oppressive surroundings.
The following morning, Fink awakens to chaos: a mosquito buzzes ominously, and upon discovering Audrey's lifeless body and the shocking bloodstain on his mattress, terror grips him. In desperation, he reaches out to Meadows, who advises him to proceed with his meeting with Lipnick, while Geisler panics over the creative standoff.
As Fink presents himself to Lipnick, he claims he doesn’t share unfinished work. Lipnick's disdain for Fink's lack of output culminates in a bizarre display of power dynamics, showcasing the harsh realities of Hollywood's treatment of artists. When Fink returns to his hotel room, it’s eerily vacant. His encounter with detectives investigating Charlie reveals the dark undertones of the narrative, escalating in turmoil.
Amid the unfolding chaos, Fink experiences a sudden surge of creativity, driven by the haunting imagery of the box he received from Charlie—a box that symbolizes the severed ties and chaos within his life. He writes feverishly, delivering a completed screenplay to Lipnick, who is unimpressed and seeks only the blandest elements of storytelling.
As the climax approaches, Fink witnesses the intense destruction around him—a physical manifestation of his internal struggles, all revolving around a creative process stifled by the demands of the industry. In the fray, Charlie’s violent outburst against the detectives escalates the tension, leaving Fink with a profound sense of disillusionment.
Ultimately, as Fink walks along the beach, he encounters a girl who eerily resembles the woman in his hotel room artwork. The film closes with the image of Fink facing the ocean, symbolizing his unresolved journey in both life and creativity.
