在这部否定之人剧情片中,西奥，一个二手家具商人，和他的情人费雯，一个喜欢通过装扮和角色扮演来增强他们之间的爱情。西奥假装他是臭名昭著的杀人犯Hawley Harvey Crippen博士；费雯假装她是Crippen的妻子，Belle Elmore，或Crippen的情妇，Ethel Le Neve。当他们不做爱时，西奥和费雯之间更多的争吵，他们仍然继续住在西奥的伦敦店上。有一天一个德国女摄影师Reingard,闯入了他们的生活，Reingard也入住到一间商店的楼上；在她的影响下，西奥和费雯的关系在悄悄发生着变化。
Theo, a used-furniture dealer, and his lover, Vivien, like to enhance their love-making through dressing-up and role-playing. He pretends he's notorious murderer Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen; she pretends she's either Crippen's wife, Belle Elmore, or Crippen's mistress, Ethel Le Neve. When they're not having sex, Theo and Vivien engage in a lot of bickering, but continue to live together above Theo's London shop. Entering their lives one day is Reingard, a female German photographer who's been observing the couple, whom she finds intriguing. Reingard moves into one of the rooms above the shop; under her influence, Theo begins to shed his Crippen persona in favor of that of another notorious figure, German flying ace Baron von Richthofen, a development which threatens to impact Theo's relationship with Vivien.
