Claire lives with her wealthy adopted parents in a luxurious and isolated house in the woods. She discovers a wounded and bleeding boy her age in her family's garden shed. The boy is a young drug courier from Afghanistan; shot and wounded after serving his purpose as human packing material. Claire decides to keep the boy a secret. He slowly recovers under her care; and they fall in love. When the drug dealers return and Claire's family is due to move back to the city; they decide to flee; though Claire finds it difficult to outrun her past as an abandoned child.
Povestea filmului - inspirat de bestseller-ul mondial al autoarei britanice Erika Leonard, care semnează cu pseudonimul E.L. James - îi are în centru pe studenta Anastasia Steele și un cuceritor și misterios om de afaceri, Christian Grey, între care se leagă o relație plină de erotism, dar și secrete întunecate.