Film je posnet po romanu Johna O’Briena, ki je ravno v času, ko je režiser Mike Figgis začel s snemanjem filma, storil samomor. Nicolas Cage si je za vlogo obupanega pijanca prislužil oskarja. Figgis in Cageova soigralka Elisabeth Shue sta bila nominirana za zlatega kipca. Zgodba pripoveduje o alkoholiku Benu Sandersonu, ki je obupal nad življenjem, zato se namerava v Las Vegasu do smrti zapiti. Ker v zadnjih dnevih življenja hrepeni po družbi, najame mlado prostitutko Sero, s katero se zapleteta v pogovor. Tako se med njima nepričakovano splete prijateljstvo, ki preraste celo v ljubezen. A Serina brezpogojna ljubezen ni dovolj, da bi Ben prenehal piti.
Because his wife left him and took his son with her, screenwriter Ben Sanderson has started drinking, a lot. He's getting more and more isolated and he troubles women in bars because he wants to have sex with them. When he gets fired, he decides to leave everything behind and move to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. In Las Vegas he meets Sera, a prostitute with some problems as well who he moves in with.