Francis Bacon, a young, gay Irishman, finds love and danger in the shadows of Weimar Berlin. Sent to live with his uncle after being kicked out of school, Francis enjoys the creative and sexual resurgence of Berlin. But it's clear that his uncle is up to something shady, and when the Nazis send Uncle Lastings fleeing for his life, Francis is left alone and penniless in a city that gets more menacing every night.