The story follows Jirō, a rebellious high schooler, in his sadomasochistic and criminal misadventures, specifically as they relate to his girlfriend, mother and her lover.

Misayo is the mistress of Keigo Nanbara, a businessman, and Jiro's disapproval of their relationship and feelings of jealousy leave him constantly at odds with both of them.

Etsuko, a college student who desperately needs money for an abortion, leads Nanbara to an empty summer home under the pretense of connecting him with Jirō, who he has been searching for in order to make peace.

The next day at a local bar the youngsters frequented, a journalist for a disreputable paper tells the owner that Jirō is dead.

In 1956, Nikkatsu Studios made three popular films in the Sun Tribe genre, focused on a contemporary youth subculture noted for their affinity for beach life and jazz music and their progressive attitudes toward sex.

The films met with public outcry for moral reasons, and a fourth production was halted at the behest of the Eirin, or Motion Picture Code of Ethics Committee.

[2] The film was based on the author Akira Ichijō's story High Teen Mistress (ハイティーン情婦 Hai tīn jōfu), adapted for the screen by Seiji Hoshikawa.

[3][8] The film journal Kinema Junpo posited that any deficiencies in the story were overshadowed by Seijun Suzuki's unique directorial style.

"[9] He noted in it common elements with Nagisa Oshima's own Sun Tribe film Cruel Story of Youth (also 1960) but found Everything Goes Wrong to be less pretentious.

Records reissued the soundtrack on CD as a part of its Cine Jazz series, which featured 1960s Nikkatsu Action film scores.