In 1939 Los Angeles, private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy heiress Clare Cavendish to find her missing lover, Nico Peterson, a prop master at Pacific Film Studios. Marlowe discovers that Peterson is believed to be dead after allegedly falling down drunk and being run over by a car outside an exclusive club. However, Marlowe is skeptical of the circumstances surrounding Peterson's supposed death and begins to investigate further, despite lack of interest from his friend, homicide detective Joe Green. Marlowe delves deeper into the case, uncovering a web of deceit and corruption among the city's elite.