A young worker at a nuclear power plant falls for the wife of his boss.

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Gary (Tahar Rahim), 29, unemployed, finds a job for 1,200 euros a month at a nuclear power plant. He and his colleagues live together in a mobile home not far from the plant in a beautiful country setting. He is warned about the dangers of a radioactive "dose". "What's a dose?" he asks naively. The gorgeous Karole (Lea Seydoux), wife of his boss Toni, gives him an example: "You're afraid, your eyes cloud over, your head spins, your legs tremble... that's a dose", she says, kissing him on the lips in front of everyone. Gary is immediately on fire. Under the influence of carnal passion, will he let himself be devoured by radioactivity ?

From the beginning of director Rebecca Zlotowski's film, there is an increasing threat (egged along by the electro soundtrack) – but it's unclear whether the danger comes from radioactivity or illicit love. What is obvious is that both are uncontrollable, as the director plants passion into soil that is fertile for death; in a nuclear environment where contamination accidents abound, striking workers who are not always conscious of the risks. Cocky, big-mouthed, but manipulated and easily so due to their lack of money and education, these proletarians see themselves more like modern cowboys.