影片揭露三十年代爱尔兰一间男童院的阴暗面。男主角富有改革社会的理想，相信诗歌可改变人心。他刚打完西班牙内战回来，在男童院当教师，即跟暴戾成性的院长神父发生冲突。这些每因小过而被关进来的少年，在院长眼中只是畜牲，但整个教会和国家均对神父的暴力和性侵犯视而不见。

一群年轻的罪犯被输送到一个小岛

Raymond's life is on pause - stuck in a job he hates and living with a bunch of middle class students he has nothing in common with. He's a man adrift, until a chance encounter on a night out reunites him with his charismatic but volatile former foster brother Jerdy.