Otis Lort, a once-famous movie star, finds himself struggling with severe alcohol addiction in 2005. His reckless behavior culminates in a car crash and a violent altercation with the police, forcing him into a rehabilitation program. During his stay, his counselor, Dr. Moreno, warns him that if he leaves the facility prematurely, the court will send him to prison due to his aggressive offenses. She suggests that Otis may be dealing with PTSD—a diagnosis he vehemently denies—yet she emphasizes the importance of examining his traumatic past to understand his feelings and actions better.
Flashbacks to 1995 reveal Otis as a young child actor, working tirelessly in Hollywood under the watchful eye of his father, James LaBeouf, a former rodeo clown. James is a complex character: he is recently sober, but his behavior remains unpredictable and volatile, often displaying manic and aggressive tendencies. Otis and his father live in a dilapidated apartment complex, where they are watched by a mysterious Shy Girl who lives nearby. Despite James’s evident flaws, Otis is part of the Big Brother program, showing his desire for connection and stability, even as his mother’s disapproval persists.
Otis harbors a desire to experience normal childhood activities such as attending a baseball game, which he plans to do with Tom, a fellow participant in the program. James agrees, but his true character comes to light when he invites Tom over for a barbecue and reacts violently—throwing Tom into the pool and threatening him relentlessly. The tension escalates when Otis receives an opportunity to star in a film shooting in Canada, prompting him to call his mother for permission. His mother raises concerns about James’s background as a registered sex offender, causing James to lash out at her through Otis, reflecting the fractured and tense relationship among all three.
Throughout his therapy sessions, Otis struggles with resistance, finding little worth in the process, which leads his counselor, Alec, to suggest a primal exercise—screaming loudly in the woods—to release built-up anger. Meanwhile, in the past, James attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where he shares stories of his troubled childhood, including abuse by an stepmother, drug use, and a dark incident where he, in a drunken blackout, attempted to assault a woman, leading to his registration as a sex offender.
The emotional climax occurs during Otis’s confrontation with his father. After demanding James begin to take responsibility and be a better dad, James responds with brutal violence—beating Otis and leaving him injured before racing off to score drugs at a strip club. Later, Otis spends time with the Shy Girl, sharing moments of tender connection, only for James to discover them together the next morning. In a savage act, James physically assaults Otis upon finding out, then vomits and laments his feelings of inadequacy, asking Otis how it feels to hear his son speak to him so openly—an indication of how lost and damaged they both are.
Despite his tumultuous relationship with his father, Otis attempts moments of bonding, taking James to marijuana plants he’s cultivated and sharing a smoke. In his mental landscape in 2005, Otis envisions himself finding his father dressed as a rodeo clown, expressing a desire to make a movie about him—a dream that symbolizes his longing for recognition and understanding. The film concludes with Otis riding away with James on his motorcycle, but the image fades into Otis alone, driving away into an uncertain future, emphasizing his ongoing journey towards healing and self-discovery.
