Teen schoolgirl Dot (Tushingham) is in love with her biker boyfriend Reggie (Campbell), and they rush down the aisle. But a contentious honeymoon is followed by disagreements when they return to their small bedsit in South London. To escape from the constant bickering, Reg spends more and more time with his friend Pete (Sutton), and eventually he and Dot split up. Despite their evident feelings for each other, Dot dates another biker, while Reg plans to emigrate to New York with Pete. But soon a revelation forces Reg to reconsider his plans.

A blend of British kitchen sink drama and American biker flick, Canadian director Furie’s cult classic was one of the first films to be released in the United States despite clearly violating the Hollywood production code with themes of pre-marital sex and homosexuality. The working-class milieu, cockney accents and authentic locations inform the social realism, with a frigid cross-country motorbike race providing palpable thrills. Tushingham and Campbell give sincere, tender and humorous performances in this wistful slice of life.