Eleanor Marx, the youngest daughter of philosopher Karl Marx, dedicates her life to socialist politics and labour activism in late Victorian England while conducting a passionate and ultimately destructive relationship with Edward Aveling, a charming but dishonest man who repeatedly betrays her trust. The film traces her intellectual and emotional struggles as she fights for workers' rights and women's emancipation, all whilst remaining entangled with a partner who exploits her generosity. Her idealism and personal suffering are set against an anachronistic punk soundtrack that underscores the film's contemporary sensibility.