A mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran works as a night-time taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge for violent action, attempting to save a preadolescent prostitute in the process.

Downtrodden writer Henry and distressed goddess Wanda aren’t exactly husband and wife: they’re wedded to their bar stools. But they like each other’s company- and Barfly captures their giddy, gin-soaked attempts to make a go of life on the skids.