Virada do século XIX para o século XX, na fronteira da Califórnia. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) é um mineiro de minas de prata derrotado, que divide seu tempo com a tarefa de ser pai solteiro. Um dia ele descobre a existência de uma pequena cidade no oeste onde um mar de petróleo está transbordando do solo. Daniel decide partir para o local com seu filho, H.W. (Dillon Freasier). O nome da cidade é Little Boston, sendo que a única diversão do local é a igreja do carismático pastor Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). Daniel e H.W. se arriscam e logo encontram um poço de petróleo, que lhes traz riqueza mas também uma série de conflitos.
Tong-u, um homem simples casou-se aos trinta anos, Ela está indo para Chonju (4 horas de ônibus de Seul) em viagem de negócios. Após vários incidentes ele acaba conhecendo uma prostituta com quem tem um breve relaionamento.
A group of people whose lives suffer from stagnation, are working together in the same company and their lives are scutinized by those who see them. There is the development manager whose last new idea was five years earlier; a procrastinating office clerk with a crush on a co-worker that he is too shy to reveal; and a senior manager who believes his wife is having an affair causing him to take out his frustration on all his employees.
Yi-su, a 37 year-old professor, can't forget her first love Joon-ho who's missing in action in Vietnam. She meets Hyun-woo one day, who look surprising like Joon-ho. Hyun-woo investigates Yi-su who lives in the past and discovers that her pain stems from the Vietnam war. Hyun-woo can't help falling in love with her even though he's a student. On a trip to Busan, he confesses his love for her. But he soon realizes that the only man for her is Joon-ho. Min-cheol who fought along with Joon-ho sells his belongings to Yi-su at a high price. He tells her that Joon-ho died in a fire and they argue aggressively. Min-cheol commits suicide afterwards and Yi-su is also found dead in the campus pool.
