1970s New York City is borderline bankrupt. Police departments, public schools and other municipalities are struggling under massive layoffs, buildings are abandoned, and the streets are rife with crime and drugs.

 

For Johnny Alvarez, a precocious young runaway, the decay and lawlessness offer camouflage and opportunity. He squats in an empty apartment in a derelict Washington Heights tenement and gathers a gang of streetwise kids, most of whom struggle with their own issues.

 

Johnny is haunted by the abuse he suffered at the hands of his sadistic older brother. The crew tries to keep his head straight with belonging and levity, but the turbulent nature of the street triggers unwanted memories, which spin Johnny into recklessness amid the city’s seedy underbelly.