A 6-year-old girl called Hushpuppy and her father Wink, live in a community referred to as the Bathtub – a Southern Louisiana bayou cut off from the rest of the world by a levee.

The story interweaves the complexity of the impoverished lives of those who live there, with a problematic yet loving relationship between a father and daughter. The rising water levels in the Bathtub make matters worse, threatening the homes of the residents.

By intercutting footage of icecaps melting throughout the film, it reinforces the deadly reality of global warming, which will eventually eradicate their community.