In 1950s England sailor Harold Guppy arrives in a small seaside town looking for his estranged brother. After a brief reunion Harold finds a room for rent in the house of Mrs. Beasley her meek husband and their teenage daughter Joyce. It's clear that Harold has a troubled past but his future is about to get more perilous yet. Despite the rosy surface Harold soon finds himself in a tawdry sexual tug-of-war that won't end well.