Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), a former police detective turned street hustler, deals in dreams. Specifically, 'SQUID' recordings of experiences taken directly from the cerebral cortex. When recorded and played back through a MiniDisc-like device, this device allows the user to experience all recorded sensory inputs (such as sight, hearing, smell, and touch) as if they were actually experiencing it themselves. Though he has charm and suave, and a zest for living life to the fullest, he sadly yearns for his former girlfriend Faith (Juliette Lewis), a popular singer and former prostitute who cruelly rejected him.