Cherry experiences a whirlwind romance when he falls head over heels for his college classmate, Emily. Their love flourishes, but everything takes a turn when Emily decides to pursue her studies in Montreal, leaving Cherry heartbroken. To escape his pain, he takes a drastic step and enlists in the Army as a medic. Just before his deployment, Emily realizes she still loves him and confesses her feelings, leading to a quick wedding before he heads off to serve.
During his two years of service, Cherry faces the harsh realities of war, which leave him suffering from PTSD due to traumatic experiences such as witnessing the horrific death of his friend, Jimenez. Back home, the weight of his trauma manifests as panic attacks, and he finds himself turning to OxyContin in a desperate attempt to manage his anxiety. This quickly spirals out of control, as his growing addiction begins to strain his relationship with Emily, who feels helpless and ends up using Cherry's medication herself. Sadly, both find themselves sinking deeper into addiction, ultimately leading them to heroin.
Their situation worsens when they break into a safe that Cherry is safeguarding for his drug dealer, Pills and Coke, only to find out later that it belonged to a powerful figure named Black. With the loss of drugs, Cherry feels the pressure to rob a bank to repay the debt. This act sets off a series of robberies fueled by their need for drugs. Emily's health deteriorates, culminating in a near-fatal overdose, followed by emotional manipulation from her mother to leave Cherry.
Determined to support their habit, Cherry enlists the help of Pills and Coke and his trusted friend, James Lightfoot, to rob multiple tellers simultaneously. In a tense robbery gone wrong, Cherry ends up alone and forced to carry the burden of their reckless choices. Tragically, in an attempt to rescue Pills and Coke, Lightfoot discovers him fatally shot, and they make the gut-wrenching decision to abandon him.
Later, Cherry faces the wrath of Black, who confronts him to settle the drug debt. With a sense of finality, Cherry kisses Emily goodbye and embarks on one last desperate heist. During this robbery, he engages the teller to trigger the alarm before escaping with the cash to pay off Black. Cherry's reckless gamble culminates in an iconic moment where he draws attention to himself by firing his weapon into the air, intending to get high one last time before being arrested.
After serving 14 years in prison, Cherry emerges from behind bars a changed man. As he steps into freedom, he is greeted by the sight of Emily waiting for him, suggesting a thread of hope remains amid their turbulent past.
