Mark, a 29-year-old freelance photographer originally from Indiana, relocates to Los Angeles with the hope of establishing a career as a cinematographer. However, his journey is marred by deep emotional scars and troubling memories. He is haunted by his overbearing mother, whose controlling presence dominates his childhood, and he carries an overwhelming sense of guilt over an tragic accident that claimed the life of his baby brother when he was young. These emotional burdens make it increasingly difficult for him to find stability and success in the competitive environment of California.
In Los Angeles, Mark's professional work is limited to shooting brief, low-budget loops of pornography for a producer named Jobal, played by Dick Glass. His career prospects are bleak, and amidst this work, Mark experiences a profound frustration with his own sexuality. He is unable to form genuine intimate connections with women, which leads him down a dark and disturbing path where he begins to strangle women during moments of sexual frustration, expressing this violent urge as a tragic manifestation of his inner turmoil.
During his time in the adult film industry, Mark meets Michelle, a sympathetic pornographic actress who captures his attention. Michelle, portrayed by Jeannette Dilger, shares a Midwestern background similar to Mark's, and the two develop a close, platonic bond rooted in their mutual understanding of loneliness. Despite her own history, which involves leaving a small Nebraska hometown for California and falling into sex work as a means of survival, Michelle maintains a respectful distance due to her committed relationship. Their friendship offers a rare connection where they bond over their love of art and movies, reminiscing about their childhoods and dreams.
The story explores a poignant moment when they go for a hike on Mount Lee, near the Hollywood Sign, where Mark confesses his feelings of alienation and loneliness. Michelle listens and reciprocates, sharing her own feelings of dejection and her struggles with her chosen path. She explains how her passion for movies once inspired her, but her descent into the sex industry left her feeling empty and unfulfilled.
One day, Mark encounters Gretchen, played by Gayle Davis, a talkative young hitchhiker. He offers her a ride to the beach, and they spend time together. Their day involves renting a boat, but tensions rise as Gretchen's incessant chatter irritates Mark. In a moment of overwhelming frustration, Mark strangles Gretchen to death and discards her body into the water, persuading the boat owner that he had dropped her off elsewhere along the coast.
Later, Mark returns home to find a message from Michelle on his answering machine. In her message, she reveals that despite caring for him deeply, she no longer wishes to see him because she perceives him as trapped in his own unhappiness. This revelation leaves Mark even more isolated.
Mark then visits Michelle at her apartment, and they share an intimate encounter, seemingly reconnecting. However, the next morning, Mark awakens to the horrifying realization that he has strangled Michelle during the night. Overcome with despair and guilt, he makes the tragic decision to end his life. The story culminates with Mark standing at the Hollywood Sign, where he records his own suicide with his 8 mm camera before taking his own life, adding a haunting and tragic close to his story.
Throughout the film, the narrative delves into themes of loneliness, mental health struggles, the destructive urges born from repressed emotions, and the tragic consequences of unresolved trauma. The characters' stories intertwine to paint a bleak picture of alienation and despair, culminating in an unflinching portrayal of a man pushed to the brink.
