In the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, a young man finds work as a cyclo. Faithful to the teachings of his father, himself a cyclo who was killed in an accident a year earlier, the young man transports customers around the sweltering city in an attempt to support himself, his family, and to improve his lot in life. Yet before he has a chance to prosper, his bicycle is stolen by a local gang. He must now confront his boss, a ruthless female hustler who demands payment for the stolen cyclo at any cost. In order to climb out of debt and repay the owner, the Cyclo is coerced into involving himself with the city's underworld. Empowered by the easy money and seduced by the impunity of his actions, the Cyclo is curiously drawn to The Poet, the quietly intense head of a local street gang. The Cyclo soon discovers that The Poet is also pimping the cyclo's older sister. The two siblings must determine whether or not they can survive under the dark secrets of the city's furious brutality.