The film opens moments after the shooting, quickly followed by a scene with Valerie Solanas in custody for shooting Andy Warhol. The film then uses flashbacks to when Valerie is living in New York making a living as a sex worker, then to her difficult childhood, then to her success in studying psychology at college. Here, Valerie discovers that she is a lesbian, that she can write, and that she has a distinctive view of the world. This leads her to New York City and its downtown Bohemianism. Through her friend Stevie, she meets Candy Darling, who in turn introduces her to Andy Warhol.