Zgodba, posneta po romanu Emila Zole, se odvija v Parizu okrog leta 1860. Spremljamo privlačno Terese Raquin, ki trpi v svojem zakonu, saj jo je njena dominantna teta prisilila, da se poroči z moškim, ki ga ne ljubi. Ko nekega dne slučajno spozna moževega privlačnega prijatelja Laurenta, med njima preskoči iskrica. Tako se Terese spusti v afero, ki bo pripeljala do tragičnih posledic.
Set in the lower echelons of 1860s Paris, Therese Raquin, a sexually repressed beautiful young woman, is trapped into a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille, by her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin. Therese spends her days confined behind the counter of a small shop and her evenings watching Madame play dominoes with an eclectic group. After she meets her husband's alluring friend, Laurent, she embarks on an illicit affair that leads to tragic consequences.