The friends Curió, Boroca (Dedé Santana), Mexelete and Bateia they venture in search of gold in the mine of Serra Pelada. The area is controlled by the foreigner Von Bermann, whose orders are executed by the bully Bira. Thirsty of being able to, the foreigner smuggles the gold and he wants to take possession of the lands of the Brazilian Ribamar, that refuses to do business before the son's arrival Chicão. With the help of the four dabblers, the boy struggles with the thieves and it helps the father in danger.
In the early seventies in Rio de Janeiro, detective Mariel Moryscötte de Mattos belonged to a special police force called "The Golden Men". This powerful group of the elite of the police was created with the intention of eliminate crime from Rio de Janeiro, and they had privileges above law to expedite their action against the outlaws. However, absolute power in wrong hands corrupts, and this group formed the "Death Squad", executing criminals without the conventional trial from the justice.
On the banks of São Paulo's Rio Tietê, a poignant tale unfolds, featuring a tapestry of characters existing on the fringes of society. Prostitutes, a pimp, a mentally disabled man, and others marginalized by fate lead lives mired in hopelessness, devoid of any prospect. Trapped in the relentless cycle of their ordinary yet despairing existence, they yearn for release, anticipating the embrace of death as their only salvation—a collective passage onto the harrowing vessel of damnation.