Hollywood beckons for recent film school grad Nick Chapman, who is out to capitalize on the momentum from his national award-winning student film. Studio executive Allen Habel seduces Nick with a dream deal to make his first feature, but once production gets rolling, corporate reality begins to intervene: Nick is unable to control a series of compromises to his high-minded vision, and it's all he can do to maintain his integrity in the midst of filmmaking chaos.

Aspiring director Eddie moves from the Midwest to Los Angeles, where he rooms with his cousin and attempts to establish himself in advertising — but he doesn't have much luck. Seeking something worthwhile, Eddie decides to shift his focus to looking for love through a video dating service. He goes through one bad date after another, but the only thing he finds interesting about the service is Peggy Kellogg, one of the employees.

Robert McCall is a former agent of a secret government agency who is now running his own private crime fighting operation where he fashions himself as "The Equalizer." It is a service for victims of the system who have exhausted all possible means of seeking justice and have nowhere to go. McCall promises to even out the odds for them.