What Is Help Me, Eros About?
The premise of Help Me, Eros in 291 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In contemporary Kaohsiung, a city that hums with neon and the soft clatter of daily commerce, a former stockbroker finds his world reduced to the bare essentials of a cramped apartment and lingering emptiness. Ah Jie has watched his fortunes dissolve in the market, and now he drifts among instant noodles, a modest indoor garden, and the echo of television cooking shows that feel more like distant rituals than entertainment. The film settles into a slow, sensual rhythm, letting the viewer taste the weight of loss through muted colors and lingering close‑ups that feel almost tactile.
Against this backdrop of quiet desperation, Chyi works behind the calm façade of a suicide‑prevention hotline. Her voice becomes a lifeline that reaches through the static of bureaucracy and the anonymity of the call centre, offering a fragile thread of human connection. Their conversations hover between the scripted comfort of the service and an unsettling intimacy that hints at something more, while the city outside watches in indifferent neon glow. The tone is both erotic and psychedelic, a blend of soft sensuality and surreal undercurrents that suggest the boundary between reality and imagination is constantly shifting.
Meanwhile, the streets below the apartment pulse with their own rhythm, where Shin, a young betel‑nut kiosk worker, navigates the chaotic world of late‑night customers and fleeting relationships. Her brief encounters with Ah Jie introduce a tentative companionship that feels both transactional and oddly tender, set against the backdrop of urban signage and the scent of home‑grown marijuana that drifts through the hallway. As the three characters orbit each other, the film paints a portrait of yearning and isolation, inviting the audience to linger in the spaces between longing and connection, all while the city’s electric heartbeat persists unabated.
What Happens in Help Me, Eros?
The complete story of Help Me, Eros, from the first scene to the last, in 798 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 3 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Set in modern Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the film centers on Ah Jie, Lee Kang-sheng, a former stockbroker who has just lost his job and is scraping by by selling off his designer furniture. The notorious opening sequence lingers on the protagonist as he reclines on a designer sofa in his apartment, watching a cookery segment where a carp is swiftly scaled, gutted, cooked and served alive, its mouth still rhythmically opening and closing. He survives on instant noodles, tends a closet nursery full of marijuana plants, and reaches out to counselor Chyi, Liao Hui-jen, on a suicide hotline.
On the line, Jie longs for more than the routine conversation and begins to picture Chyi in a more intimate light, a fantasy that haunts his days. In the real world, Chyi is a young, somewhat overwhelmed counselor who guides callers from a bustling hotline center. She is cautious about crossing boundaries, yet Jie’s insistence and loneliness push the connection into increasingly personal territory. Meanwhile, Jie’s life at home is fraying: his former status and possessions feel hollow, and the tension at the hotline bleeds into his attempts to reach out to someone who might listen. The narrative threads weave between his fragile mental state and the stark, unglamorous reality of his marital home, where Chyi’s own life—her husband, a social circle, and the pressures of a routine existence—offers a counterpoint to Jie’s escalating desperation.
In the street below the apartment, Shin, Ivy Yin, the newest betel nut girl at the busy kiosk, struggles to find her footing among the more established workers. Jie crosses paths with Shin, paying for cigarettes with an out‑of‑circulation coin and eventually asking her to drive him somewhere. The two strike up a transactional, tentative bond, culminating in a spontaneous night out: they slip into a used-car lot, Jie unlocks a car with a spare key, and the pair roam the city, photographing themselves with a speed camera and sharing a joint of Jie’s homegrown marijuana. What begins as a momentary companionship deepens into an intimate connection as Jie cradles Shin’s face with his hands to let her breathe in his exhaled smoke, and the two drift into a charged, almost choreographed bout of closeness.
That closeness leads to a cascade of dramatic moments. After their night together, Chyi contacts Jie via MSN, her profile showing a thinner coworker who Jie assumes is the one in the photo. Chyi plays along, and Jie’s fixation on this imagined image intensifies, sparking a hunt as he shadows the real Chyi’s itinerary around the city. The kiosk’s atmosphere darkens as a more established girl faces danger after a violent incident with a client; Jie brings his marijuana to share with the betel nut girls, a moment that hints at how his plants have become a kind of magical lure in a world of lackluster routine. The scene tops with Jie and Shin sharing a hazy rooftop moment where the city’s brand logos flash across their entwined bodies, a surreal aside that underscores Jie’s waning grip on reality.
The morning after, Shin returns to Jie’s apartment with water, only to discover the place deprived of power and water because Jie has fallen behind on bills. She offers to help, hinting at a possible future, but Jie rejects the idea of discussing his debts. Enraged by her misreading of his needs, Shin confronts him and shatters his marijuana plants, smashing the pots and scattering the greens across the floor. The incident seeds a new turn in Jie’s desperation: he sells the rest of his possessions—his TV, his sofa—and uses the proceeds to buy lottery tickets, clinging to a lottery‑dream as a last lifeline.
Jie’s sense of isolation intensifies and he uses the hotline to reach out to Chyi once more. Meanwhile, the sequence at a roadside restaurant is framed by Chyi watching a cooking program that replays the film’s opening scene of the carp, a meta‑layer that unsettles her as she receives a text: Jie has called to say he intends to kill himself and has left an address. She hurries to his apartment building as the story follows Jie’s mounting crisis. In the apartment, Jie tries to end his life by turning on the stove’s gas canister and lying on the floor; he wakes later to find the canister empty, and he crawls toward the windows, stepping onto the sill as Chyi rushes up the stairs. Simultaneously, Shin reappears at the street kiosk, unaware of the exact circumstances unfolding inside. When Chyi bursts into the apartment, she finds it empty; looking down from the street, Shin is suddenly showered with a rain of lottery tickets, and Jie seems to have vanished somewhere between the window and the street, leaving the film with a haunting image of disappearance and unresolved longing.
Help Me, Eros Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening sequence in Jie's apartment” to “Ending: fate unresolved amidst rain of tickets”. 12 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Opening sequence in Jie's apartment
The film opens in modern Kaohsiung with Jie lounging on a designer sofa as a cookery show demonstrates live fish preparation. The image sets a bleak mood of appetite and detachment. Jie wanders his nearly empty apartment, cooking noodles and tending his closet marijuana plants while he calls a suicide hotline counselor.
When:Opening sequence Where:Jie's apartment, Kaohsiung
- 2
Jie seeks connection and finances
Jie roams his near-empty apartment, cooking instant noodles and tending his closet marijuana nursery. He compulsively calls counselor Chyi on the suicide hotline, seeking a more human connection than the automated service provides. Recently fired from his stockbroker job, he sells off his remaining designer furniture at a pawn shop to make ends meet.
When:Soon after opening sequence Where:Jie's apartment and pawn shop
- 3
Chyi's life and boundaries between fantasy and reality
Chyi is introduced as a young, overloaded counselor, initially reluctant to indulge Jie’s fantasies. The film then shifts to her domestic life, where her husband hosts a lavish dinner while a friend watches TV, and a surreal bathroom scene with live eels hints at blurred boundaries. These moments underscore the tension between fantasy and real life.
When:Evening after hotline contact Where:Chyi's marital home
- 4
Jie meets Shin at the street kiosk
Jie encounters Shin, the new betel nut girl, at the street kiosk beneath the building where she struggles to fit in with the established staff. He pays for cigarettes with an out-of-circulation coin and receives a reprimand, marking their first interaction. Later he offers to drive her somewhere.
When:Night Where:Street kiosk area
- 5
Stolen car ride and self-portrait drive
Jie slips into a used-car lot and, using a key he brings, reveals another possession he has given up since losing his job. He and Shin drive around the city, taking their own photo using a speed camera and eventually parking to share a joint of his home-grown marijuana. He cups his hands around their faces to blow the smoke toward them.
When:Night Where:Used-car lot to city streets
- 6
Acrobatic sex and MSN contact with Chyi
The pair engage in a sequence of acrobatic sexual positions, with Jie lifting and suspending Shin in various poses. Afterward, Chyi contacts Jie on MSN, and her avatar appears to be a thinner coworker, which Jie assumes must be her. Chyi is too embarrassed to deny it and plays along.
When:Late night Where:Jie's apartment
- 7
Morning fallout: utilities off and plant destruction
Next morning Shin arrives at Jie's apartment with water, only to discover the water and power are off due to unpaid bills. Jie refuses her offer to help pay and Shin becomes angry. In retaliation, she smashes his marijuana plants and tramples them underfoot.
When:Next morning Where:Jie's apartment
- 8
Shin moves to the countryside; Jie sells possessions
Shin travels to a rural plantation for work, while Jie lingers around the kiosk, hoping to hear from her. He sells the rest of his possessions, including his TV and sofa, and uses the money to buy lottery tickets.
When:Days later Where:Rural area; Jie’s surroundings
- 9
Jie calls Chyi; ostrich-farm imagery returns
Jie calls the hotline and leaves a message for Chyi, who is eating at a roadside restaurant and watching the cooking program that demonstrated the live carp from the opening sequence. A cutaway shows the ostrich farm scene with the husband and his lover attempting an ostrich egg omelette, ending with a dead baby ostrich that sickens Chyi. Jie informs Chyi he plans to kill himself.
When:Evening Where:Roadside restaurant; ostrich farm location
- 10
Suicide attempt and the window scene
In his apartment, Jie tries to kill himself by turning on the gas canister and lying on the floor, but the canister is empty. He wakes dazed, then opens the street-side windows and steps onto the sill as Chyi hurries up. Meanwhile, Shin returns and heads toward the street kiosk.
When:Later that night Where:Jie's apartment; street vicinity
- 11
The apartment is empty; Jie disappears
Chyi bursts into the apartment to find it empty; Jie has disappeared. On the street below, Shin is suddenly showered with a rain of lottery tickets, as if Jie’s final message to the world has been released.
When:End of night Where:Jie's apartment; street outside
- 12
Ending: fate unresolved amidst rain of tickets
Chyi and Shin stand in disbelief as the Lottery-ticket rain marks Jie’s final disappearance. The camera lingers on the empty apartment and the silent city, reinforcing a sense of detachment and unresolved longing. The film closes on Jie’s fate remaining deliberately unresolved.
When:Conclusion Where:City streets and apartment
Who Are the Main Characters in Help Me, Eros?
3 characters, among them Shin, Ah Jie and Chyi: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- S
Shin
Played by Ivy Yin
A betel nut girl struggling to fit in among the kiosk workers, Shin becomes involved with Jie as he pursues companionship and escape. Her interactions reveal a mix of vulnerability and stubborn independence as she navigates a male-dominated urban scene. She experiences a rapid shift from camaraderie to tension as their relationship deepens.
- 🎭 Betel nut worker
- 🏙️ Street life
- 💄 Emergent intimacy
- AJ
Ah Jie
Played by Lee Kang-sheng
A former stockbroker who has just been fired, Jie descends into poverty, selling his possessions and growing marijuana to survive. His longing for connection—especially with Chyi—drives increasingly reckless behavior and self-destructive impulses. He oscillates between affection and aggression, revealing a volatile, desperate psyche.
- 💼 Ex-professional
- 🌀 Obsession
- 🌿 Cannabis grower
- C
Chyi
Played by Liao Hui-jen
A counsellor at the suicide hotline, Chyi is overweight and young, offering sympathy on the phone but reluctant to cross boundaries. She becomes entangled in Jie’s fantasy while remaining professionally distant, ultimately driven by concern for his wellbeing. Her experiences expose the tension between professional duty and personal vulnerability.
- 🗣️ Counselor
- 💬 Hotline worker
- 🧩 Moral conflict
Where and When Is Help Me, Eros Set?
Help Me, Eros is set in Kaohsiung and Taiwan (Present-day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Present-day
The story unfolds in the modern era, where a personal existential crisis intersects with urban consumer culture. The characters navigate a digital-age cityscape, using hotlines and online chats as lifelines. The contemporary setting underlines the immediacy of economic precarity and intimate longing.
Where
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Set in contemporary Kaohsiung, a major southern port city in Taiwan, the film unfolds across a dense urban landscape of apartments, kiosks, and pawn shops. It highlights the contrast between slick designer interiors and street-level hustle. The waterfront and night-life districts backdrop the characters’ struggles with money, desire, and isolation.
- 🌃 Urban setting
- 💸 Economic precarity
- 🗺️ Coastal city
What Are the Themes of Help Me, Eros?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Desire, Loneliness and Precarity.
-
01
Desire
Desire drives Jie to seek intense, boundary-pushing experiences with Shin and to fantasize about Chyi. The film probes how longing can blur moral lines and provoke self-destructive impulses. Physical intimacy is entangled with power, control, and fantasy in a morally ambiguous landscape.
-
02
Loneliness
Characters crave connection in a crowded city, yet remain emotionally distant. Jie’s bursts of affection contrast with Chyi’s professional restraint and Shin’s tentative closeness, exposing how loneliness can push people toward dangerous, ephemeral bonds. Isolation is depicted alongside the noise of modern life.
-
03
Precarity
Financial strain permeates the story: unemployment, pawned possessions, and lottery tickets symbolize attempts to salvage dignity. The film portrays material desire as both a source of escape and a trap, driving episodes of risk and volatility. Economic vulnerability shaping relationships and choices.
What Kind of Film Is Help Me, Eros?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A slow-paced, melancholic, and atmospheric film that follows a deeply depressed man's desperate search for connection, creating a haunting and surreal experience of urban loneliness.
- melancholic
- lonely
- dreamlike
- atmospheric
- desperate
- surreal
- suicide contemplation
- economic despair
- addiction
- alienation
Content notes: suicide attempt, animal death, drug use.
Quiz
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Where to Watch Help Me, Eros
Stream it on Strand Releasing, or rent it from Amazon Video. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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