Set in the early 1970s, the film chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family living in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. Through the eyes of Cleo, an indigenous live-in maid and nanny, the story delves into the complexities of family dynamics, class disparities, and social upheaval. Cleo, along with another maid, Adela, handles the home's daily chores and takes care of the four children in a household led by Sofia, a mother whose absent husband frequently travels for work conferences.

As Cleo navigates the challenges and intimacies of her employer's familial struggles, her own personal life begins to unravel. Amidst the backdrop of political turmoil and student protests setting the nation on edge, Cleo's relationship with her boyfriend grows tense, unravelling to a life-altering revelation. The film weaves a tapestry of the personal and the universal, exploring the bonds of love and resilience that hold families together in the face of personal and societal crises.