洛杉矶西好莱坞,发生了一起妓女被杀事件。资深侦探钱德勒·曼宁(阿尔弗雷德·莫里纳 Alfred Molina饰)与新秀搭档斯瑞特·威尔金森(夏恩·韦斯特 Shane West饰)前往调查此事。而曼宁还要处理焦头烂额的家庭问题,他的妻子患有严重的精神疾病并被监禁起来,而女儿则一直抱怨责备曼宁对母亲的事情置之不理。与此同时,一位焦躁不安的家庭主妇埃伦·邦汀(霍普·戴维斯 Hope Davis饰)与她时常消失不见踪影的丈夫正面临着财务问题,急需一笔钱。他们将后院出租给一位神秘的房客马尔科姆·斯雷特(西蒙·贝克 Simon Baker饰)后,就再没见过他现身。此时,又一名妓女被发现死在街上。曼宁推断,凶手是在模仿开膛手杰克的罪行,这两起案件与七年前的妓女被杀案件同为连环杀手所为。他甚至怀疑,罗德里格斯凶杀案被错判了。
It is winter in a prestigious all boys' boarding school, where children continue to practice age-old rituals and codes bound by years of hierarchy of the popular norm. Shay is picked at constantly, the main perpetrators being Arjun, the tall athletic sports captain and his best friend Baadal. Shay and Prithi, the spunky daughter of the new Junior School Principal are cast as Bassanio and Portia in the Founders Day production of Merchant of Venice. Murali, the charismatic drama teacher unknowingly adds salt to Baadal's wounds by casting him as Shay's understudy. Indignant, Baadal vows to get Shay's part at any cost and turns to his buddy Arjun for help. Events take a sinister turn when Shay walks in on Arjun, Baadal and their cronies on a debauched night.