Two weeks after leaving the army, Dong-shik (Cho Hae-won), arrives in post-Korean War Seoul in search of his brother, Yeong-shik (Kim Hak-a), hoping to bring him back home to take care of their mother.

The city is destitute, with few jobs, high crime, a huge American military presence, and a thriving black market economy.

Later at the river, Dong-shik meets Sonya's friend Julie, who speaks about the tribulations of being a prostitute and jokingly offers to marry him.

Later that night, Yeong-shik and his gang sneaks onto the American base during a party to steal supplies, employing prostitutes to distract the guards.

Deterred by the mud and failing to beg for mercy, Sonya eventually succumbs to Yeong-shik's approach and dies by his knife.

Wally Adams of Asian Movie Pulse have said that "despite the rather questionable buildup in places, The Flower in Hell is potent and mostly progressive early South Korean cinema that manages respectably level-headed examination of the society's outcasts".

[5] According to Panos Kotzathanasis of HanCinema, the film was a "great production", adding to it that it "[is] one of those movies that stay relevant forever, through a combination of artistry and realism".