In 1980, Dorothy Stratten has been murdered while the murderer reflects on this. The film is interspersed with the murder and events leading up. Two years earlier, she was working at a Dairy Queen in her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia when Paul Snider, a brash, narcissistic, small-time scam artist and pimp, makes her acquaintance. He charms her into letting him take her to her high-school prom. Dorothy's mother is immediately suspicious of Paul, particularly his attempts to ingratiate himself with Dorothy's younger sister. At the dance, quick-tempered Paul stabs her snide ex-boyfriend in the behind with a pocketknife. Afterwards, however, he wins over Dorothy with his attention and flattery, until finally he gets her to agree to pose nude for Instant camera photographs. He then uses the photographs to persuade a professional to create photographic Artist's portfolio of her. After cheating the first professional out of the promised fee, he uses a second professional and sends the second portfolio to ''Playboy'', after forging Dorothy's mother's signature on an age consent form. ''Playboy'' invites Dorothy to come to Los Angeles to pose for a professional photographer.