Carol (Olivia Colman) is a tough single mother striving to keep her family together. When her teenage sons commit an act of random violence that results in the death of a stranger, Carol faces the impossible choice of protecting her children or doing the right thing.
Ying (Katie Leung) is an illegal immigrant from the Fujian province of China who sells pirate DVDs and stolen phones at cafés, pubs and barbershops around Brixton. She must pay back her debts to the Snakehead gang, but when an immigration raid leaves her with no friends, home or money, Ying finds refuge with Jamal (Gershwyn Eustache Jr), the owner of one of the barbershops, and an unlikely bond soon forms.
Richard is a recovering heroin addict who spends every day struggling to stay clean. Only one thing spurs him on; the possibility of re-establishing contact with his teenage daughter. Faced with the prospect of never seeing her again, Richard is torn between returning to the world of addiction or salvaging the only relationship that matters to him.
Katia is a young Polish woman who originally came to London filled with hope. Years later she is still working as a cleaner, struggling to make ends meet and contending with a gambling addict for a boyfriend. When tragedy strikes, Katia uncovers a startling secret and soon finds herself in grave danger...
