Tanya, a young Russian woman, arrives with her 10-year-old son Artyom in London, hoping to be met by her fiancé Mark. When he does not appear, she panics and makes a political asylum claim, which lands her and Artyom in the Stonehaven, a former resort town that has been converted into a "designated holding area" for undocumented immigrants. They are housed in a shabby apartment building that looks out over an abandoned amusement park, a setting patrolled by officers who keep a wary eye on anyone who might try to slip away. Among her belongings, she carries a framed illustration she drew during her years in Russia, a small beacon of the life she hopes to salvage.
Tanya faces fresh pressures when Les, an Internet pornographer, offers her money to participate in webcam videos. Initially hesitant, she agrees only after considering the desperate financial squeeze she and Artyom are under. The attempt is emotionally hard on her: she dresses in a Les-provided costume, crawls onto the bed, and then breaks down in tears, unable to complete the act. She ultimately abandons the plan and instead turns to other means of making money, such as donating blood. Using the single payphone in the holding area, she manages to contact Mark, only to learn that he ends their relationship.
Desperation nudges Tanya to consider withdrawing her asylum claim and returning to Russia, but officials warn that the review could drag on for months. Alfie, a former boxer who runs the local amusement arcade, takes a sympathetic interest in her plight. He helps her navigate the phone line and brings basic necessities for her and Artyom. The bond between Alfie and Artyom grows as they repaint the drab flat, giving the space a touch of color and life. Though Tanya fears another heartbreak, she finds herself drawn into a romance with Alfie. He opens up about his past—doing prison time for a street fight—and explains why he ended up in Stonehaven: a town full of people who have lost their way, as he puts it, “fuckups” like him.
Meanwhile, Artyom falls in with a rougher crowd of kids who drink, smoke, and steal. Les returns to Tanya with an offer of more money if she completes another video, a demand that Alfie overhears as it passes through the door. Tanya denies any ongoing involvement, but the tension between survival and danger looms larger.
In a decisive moment, Alfie confronts Les at his home, interrupting a webcam session, and damages the space—throwing a wrench into any fragile plans for money. He then comes to collect Tanya and Artyom, determined to get them out of Stonehaven. They hide aboard a small, abandoned sailboat on the beach, making a tense escape as the tide rises and the guards close in. They manage to slip away and evade capture, steering toward a fresh start.
Alfie and Artyom want Tanya to stay in England, but she knows she must return to begin anew. A hopeful final plan unfolds as Alfie secures a ride toward the airport, and the trio shares a farewell that blends gratitude and sorrow. In the end, Tanya leaves Alfie a token of their bond—the framed illustration—as a quiet gift and a reminder of a shared moment in a town that changed them.
