Johnny Handsome is a deformed gangster who plans a successful robbery with his best friend, Mikey Chalmette, and another couple (Sunny Boid and Rafe Garrett). During the heist, Johnny and Mikey are double-crossed by Sunny and Rafe---Mikey is killed and Johnny sent to prison. While in prison, Johnny is invited to a rehabilitation program, where Dr. Steven Fischer rebuilds his face and helps him get paroled. While going straight, Johnny starts working in a shipyard, where he meets Donna McCarty and starts a romance. Lt. A.Z. Drones is a dour and skeptical New Orleans Police detective who follows the rehabilitation of Johnny. However, Johnny's new life is consumed by the desire of revenge against Sunny and Rafe for double-crossing him and Mikey.