In a blighted corner of LA, three lifelong friends—Jesse [Kelvin Harrison Jr.], Calvin [Jacob Latimore], and Nicky [Charlie Plummer]—carry the scars of trauma from their youth. Jesse is mute, the result of abuse by his stepfather, while Calvin is self-destructive and resistant to taking his meds. Nicky may soon become a father, though Keisha [Zoë Renee]’s family opposes him. The trio drift through a tense school environment where a guidance counselor sees the potential in Calvin’s high scores, yet Calvin loudly rejects the idea of college, declaring that he’s doomed.
After Keisha’s mother chases him off, the frustrated Nicky stomps away, and a painful memory surfaces: he recalls his father, Nicky Sr., delivering a brutal beating on their front lawn. Nicky himself follows the path of violence, beating a graffiti-era kid near a mural of his late father. Greg, newly released from prison, struggles to adjust and find steady work, pushing a lawnmower through the neighborhood in a bid to earn cash. An old acquaintance offers him dirty work, but he refuses, choosing to stay on the straight path.
Recent revelations push the teens to bring their violent video game personas into the real world, and Calvin’s idea to bring the game outside becomes a dangerous catalyst. They start by trashing a video store, knocking DVDs off the shelves, then move on to randomly assault two men, taking their pills and escalating the stakes. In their minds, each brutal act is like racking up points in a game. Greg goes to Jesse’s home to ask about a grass-cutting job, but his visit reveals a troubling moment involving Charlie that spurs him to rush back to Calvin with the news.
The trio rushes to support Jesse as they realize the depth of his trauma. They spend the night together, seeking solidarity in their shared brokenness. The next day, a confrontation with a Mercedes driver ignites Calvin’s old wounds—he recalls his father being shot by a cop for asserting himself—and the trio ends up breaking into the Mercedes owner’s home, upgrading their “game” with a more dangerous vehicle.
They widen their target pool, picking up random tourists and toying with them, with Jesse posing as a famous artist fresh out of the studio. After taking them to a club, Nicky and Jesse play around in the car with the women, and Calvin brings the man to the group, leading to a brutal turn of events. A day later, Calvin’s skateboard is crushed by a car that narrowly misses him, and something in him shifts toward a more catatonic state. His mother tries to reach him by giving him a birthday cape, while Greg finds him and climbs up beside him. Calvin reiterates his dream of flying to Venus, and he hints at the violent incident that earlier landed Greg in trouble.
Charlie [Charlie Plummer] shows up to drop off groceries for Jesse, but before Nicky can reach him, Charlie leaves. Nicky and Calvin track him down to his house, discovering him with a family. The confrontation ends in a brutal act that leaves Charlie dead, and Nicky is later arrested for grand theft after leaving his phone in the Mercedes. Calvin and Jesse visit Nicky in jail, and soon after, Calvin is gunned down by the men whose pickup they had robbed. The following day, Jesse returns Calvin’s hoodie to his mother, who sobs at the loss, and Greg’s mother breaks the news to him. He seeks out Jesse, and they drive to the beach, where Jesse ends his decade-long silence with a loud, anguished scream.
