The film follows a motorcycle stunt rider who turns to robbing banks to support his newborn son, and the police officer investigating his crimes. The story spans several years and has a powerful impact on the characters' lives.

In Derek Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines, Ryan Gosling plays Luke, a drifter who makes a living doing motorcycle stunts in a traveling carnival. When he discovers that he has an infant son, he decides he wants to be able to take care of the child.

He meets an ex-convict who knows how to rob banks, and learns from him how to pull off heists. His actions cause his life to become intertwined with a police officer named Avery (Bradley Cooper), who chases after him during a robbery.