Ellie Klug, a music critic in her 40s, finds herself working at the struggling underground magazine, Stax. Tasked by her editor, Giles, to write an article on the anniversary of Matthew Smith's disappearance—one that many speculate was a suicide—Ellie becomes determined to discover the truth. Having been Matthew's childhood sweetheart and remained close until his unknown fate, she refuses to believe he is truly gone and sets out on a quest to locate him.
After receiving a tip regarding Matthew’s whereabouts online, Giles generously provides Ellie with a thousand dollars to pay this source. However, her attention shifts to Lucas Stone, a budding musician played by Ryan Eggold, who shows interest in her. In an unfortunate turn of events, Ellie accidentally leaves the cash next to Lucas when she rushes off to catch her bus. Misunderstanding her intentions, Lucas uses the money to record a demo, believing that she trusted him enough to leave it as a gesture of support.
Determined to get the necessary funds to pursue her investigation, Ellie resorts to an unexpected source—Charlie played by Thomas Haden Church, a quirky but affluent socialite with whom she had a brief romantic encounter. Charlie agrees to provide financial assistance, but only if he can document her search for Matthew in a film. Ellie reluctantly consents, yet things take a twist when it becomes clear that Charlie's motivation is more about his romantic interest in her than genuine concern over the documentary. The situation worsens as the lead turns out to be a fraud, forcing them to abandon the project.
As Ellie begins a relationship with Lucas, her insecurities surface, especially when he starts to taste success. A misunderstanding occurs when Lucas, absent from Charlie's wedding, triggers Ellie to seek solace in another man. This results in a mistaken encounter when Lucas unexpectedly returns, handing back the money with a note clarifying the confusion over the funds that had originally belonged to Ellie.
Following the fallout from her relationship with Lucas, Ellie descends into a dark period, obsessively replaying a video of a man she believes is Matthew performing a song that seems to speak directly to her experiences. A breakthrough comes when she discovers that Matthew’s past Stax subscriptions were billed to his mother, revealing that the delivery address had simply changed rather than being canceled.
Ellie, accompanied by Charlie, ventures out to the new listed address, which turns out to be a bar. When she inquires about Matthew, the bartender initially denies knowing him but makes a call shortly after. Their instincts tell them to follow her home. The next day, Ellie spots a man outside and, upon closer examination, recognizes him as Matthew. Their brief exchange exposes the truth: Matthew is living with the bartender and they have a child together. When she asks about his music, he reveals he has no new songs, leaving her crushed.
Disheartened, Ellie and Charlie depart, and he generously hands over all the footage from their documentary endeavor. With a renewed sense of purpose, Ellie writes a piece for Giles about Matthew, opting to keep his current life a secret while encapsulating the essence of her findings. The film closes with a glimpse of new beginnings as Ellie goes on a date with Charlie, suggesting a potential pathway toward healing and rediscovery.
