Middle aged Jang-Pil lives in a small one room apartment in Shinrim-dong. In the past, he might have studied for his bar exam, but now he makes a living by collecting junk, managing the apartment building he lives in and also makes wooden dolls to sell. One day he lends money to a young man in the same apartment building, but the man ends up taking his job. Jang-Pil is also tricked by a woman he met in the neighborhood.

신림동 고시촌의 허름한 고시원에서 홀로 살아가는 50대의 장필. 가난하지만 착한 장필은 같은 고시원에 사는 청년에게 돈을 빌려주지만 그에게 일자리까지 빼앗기고, 동네 골목에서 만난 여자에게 사기까지 당한다. 일상을 연명하는 것에 위기를 느낀 장씨는 우발적인 살인을 저지르고 심한 자의식에 빠진다.