For all their life, Otto, Matti, Ilkka and Eero Takkimen have been under the thumb of their tyrannical father who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. He believes in strict discipline and the evil nature of television, chewing gum and fashion. They live in a house with no electricity and survive on charity. When their father is put away into a mental institution, the boys are left to manage on their own. Adrift without guidance, they make ends meet by robbing slot machines. They get by, but hunger for more, and soon start robbing gas stations. With their father gone, their desire to finally feel normal is within reach, but there are many obstacles on their way to acceptance.