Set in the Southern United States, the film explores the intersecting lives of Hank Grotowski, a corrections officer in a Georgia prison, and Leticia Musgrove, the widow of a man executed in the facility where Hank works. Hank, embittered and hardened by his job and his relationship with his racist father, Buck, lives a life marked by coldness and routine. He struggles with the memories of his late son, who could not live up to Hank's harsh expectations and Buck's racist attitudes, leading to strained and broken family relationships. The execution of Leticia's husband sets the stage for the complex narrative, though both are unaware of how deeply their lives are about to intertwine.

As Hank and Leticia's paths cross by chance, an unlikely and transformative relationship begins to take shape against the backdrop of their shared grief, loneliness, and the heavy burden of their pasts. Leticia, struggling with the loss of her husband and the difficulties of raising her son alone, finds herself in a dire financial and emotional state. Hank, seeking redemption and a departure from his life's desolation, reaches out to Leticia, initially without knowing their tragic connection. Their growing bond forces them to confront their preconceived notions about love, forgiveness, and race, challenging both to look beyond their pain and prejudices in search of a new beginning.