Young orphan Oliver Twist finds himself forcibly taken to a workhouse in a nameless English town on his ninth birthday. There, he and the other children experience harsh treatment and receive scant food. As hunger begins to gnaw at their resolve, the boys choose Oliver by lottery to ask for more food during the next meal, an act he timidly undertakes. This bold request leads to his chastisement, and the hypocritical, wealthy workhouse officials decide that Oliver must be removed from their midst.
After narrowly escaping a life of servitude to a cruel chimney sweep, Oliver is sent to live with Mr. Sowerberry, a coffin-maker. Unfortunately, Oliver quickly discovers that both Mr. Sowerberry's wife and the older apprentice, Noah, have no love for him. After enduring more mistreatment, Oliver’s frustration boils over, and he retaliates against Noah for ridiculing his mother. Fearing further abuse from the Sowerberrys, Oliver embarks on a daring escape.
With little more than determination, he begins a 70-mile trek to London. Exhausted and hungry, Oliver collapses, only to be aided by a compassionate old woman who offers him food and shelter for the night. After a week of arduous travel, he finally reaches the city, alone and destitute. There, he meets Jack Dawkins, known as "The Artful Dodger," a street-savvy thief who introduces Oliver to his home on Saffron Hill, where a band of youthful pickpockets operates under the guidance of their eccentric elder, Fagin. Soon, Oliver is being groomed to join their illicit operations.
During his initiation into the gang, Oliver accidentally finds himself in a sticky situation when two boys steal a man’s handkerchief, and he is framed for the crime. Fortunately, an eyewitness exonerates him, and the handkerchief’s owner, the wealthy Mr. Brownlow, takes pity on the fainting boy in court. Mr. Brownlow provides Oliver with new clothes and promises a bright future filled with education.
However, fate takes a grim turn when, while running an errand for Mr. Brownlow, Oliver is forcefully taken back by Fagin's sinister associate, the villainous Bill Sikes, along with Nancy, a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship with Sikes. They fear that Oliver, if returned to Mr. Brownlow, might betray their activities to the authorities. As Sikes uncovers Oliver’s ties to the affluent Mr. Brownlow, he and his accomplice, Toby Crackit, orchestrate a plan to use Oliver in a burglary at Brownlow's home.
Things spiral out of control during the heist, leading to a brief shootout in which Oliver is injured. As Sikes contemplates silencing Oliver for good, he fails in his attempt when he accidentally plunges into a river, fleeing from the scene. Although Sikes survives, he falls gravely ill, while Fagin continues to plot against Oliver, unable to abandon his criminal schemes.
Despite Fagin's outward concern for Oliver, his interest lies in preserving his own livelihood. Nancy, feeling a maternal affection towards the boy, decides to intervene and meets with Mr. Brownlow under the cloak of night to share crucial information about Oliver's whereabouts. At this fateful meeting, she reveals that Oliver is in danger and that the authorities can easily find Fagin's hideaway. However, their clandestine conversation is overheard by The Artful Dodger, who informs Sikes of Nancy’s betrayal. Enraged, Bill Sikes brutally murders Nancy in a fit of rage.
The next day, the papers buzz with news of the murder and mention Oliver and Fagin in the same breath. The dog Bullseye, ever loyal to Sikes, unwittingly betrays his master as Sikes tries to avoid the police. In a twist of fate, Dodger, furious at Sikes for the loss of Nancy, reveals their location to the authorities. In a dramatic confrontation, Sikes takes Oliver to the rooftop, hoping to shield himself from bullets with the boy as his human shield. In an ironic twist of fate, Sikes loses his footing and inadvertently hangs himself while trying to escape.
Eventually, peace finds Oliver as he resumes a comfortable life with Mr. Brownlow. Fagin is caught and faces his potential fate behind bars, while Oliver expresses a desire to visit him, showing a glimpse of the bond they formed that transcended Fagin's criminal inclinations. In a poignant moment, Oliver finds himself at the prison, witnessing Fagin’s lamentations, echoing the sorrow of lost chances and the relentless grip of his past. As Mr. Brownlow leads a tearful Oliver away from the grim spectacle, the gallows stand ominously in the courtyard, symbolizing the tragic fate reserved for those like Fagin who strayed too far from the path of redemption.
