Maja, the pregnant wife of wealthy Philippe, is killed in a plane crash but their daughter Angelica survives. Philippe's obsession with the girl's safety morphs into something sinister and grotesque as she grows into a beautiful teen. Darius, a con-artist visiting Philippe with a business proposition, encounters Angelica and decides to rescue her. The attempt goes awry, and he flees aboard a ship, The Porpoise. As Angelica comes to terms with a life imprisoned on her father's estate, Darius's exploits create parallels with the world Angelica inhabits.

Based on William Shakespeare's Pericles.