Nil by Mouth

In a working‑class corner of South East London, the household is defined by Raymond's volatile temper and a troubled dynamic. Billy lives with drug problems and hangs out with heroin‑addicted friends while the rest of the family endures the fallout. The stage is set for constant conflict anchored in their cramped home.

Valerie becomes pregnant again, but she continues to smoke and drink, fueling tensions about the future. The couple's fragility grows as substance use tightens its grip on daily life. The environment remains chaotic at home.

That same night, Billy uses Ray's cocaine, triggering an explosive reaction. Ray attacks Billy—biting his nose—and throws him out of their flat. The confrontation foreshadows Billy's escalating addiction and the family's precarious balance.

Billy infiltrates the flat again and steals a family heirloom to fund his drug habit. The theft deepens the family's distrust and Ray's anger, widening the rift at home.

Valerie goes out to the pub, where Ray spots a handsome male friend and erupts with jealousy. He orders her out of the pub and into the car, and later accuses her of infidelity. The confrontation foreshadows the violence to come.

Back home, Ray brutalizes Valerie severely, the assault culminating in a miscarriage. The act shatters their relationship and leaves Valerie unable to see a future with him. The home environment becomes a site of trauma.

Valerie leaves Ray and resolves to start over, seeking someone who will love and treat her kindly. She refuses to return to the wrecked flat and imagines a life beyond abuse. The couple's instability appears to be near its breaking point.

In an alcohol‑fueled rage, Ray tears the flat apart and confesses to Mark that his abusive father shaped his own violence. He struggles to control his temper, revealing a cycle of abuse he believes he cannot escape.

Ray makes another attempt to reconcile with Valerie; she remains outraged, revealing she wants a chance to live, not to endure pity. She tests whether the relationship can ever be healthy again.

Ray visits Valerie and asks if she still loves him, attempting to salvage what remains. Valerie's response is not fully stated, but the moment marks a turning point in their relationship.

Valerie and Ray reconcile enough for Ray to fix up the flat. He remains crude but tries to restrain his outbursts, signaling a fragile, uneasy truce.

Billy and his friend Danny rob a man to fund their drug habit, a move that lands them in prison. The event paradoxically brings the family back together in concern and sympathy.

With Billy in prison, the family comes back together for a visit, underscoring the ties that bind them despite the violence and addiction. The trip cements a fragile sense of unity.