 Struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis is accosted by a pair of repo men, and takes refuge in what looks like a deserted house. It turns out to be inhabited by Norma Desmond, once the queen of silent pictures and now a forgotten relic. Desperate for a job, Joe agrees to edit a terrible script Norma has written for her comeback vehicle. The two of them form a bizarre symbiotic relationship, while Joe desperately tries to escape.