We first meet Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth as pre-teens in a boarding school called Hailsham. An adult Kathy narrates the film, telling us stories from her childhood, growing up with her two friends. But, immediately, something just seems off at this school.

We eventually learn, along with the students themselves, that the children are being raised for organ harvesting. The headmistress (Rampling) informs the children that it is their duty to be donors and they should be proud to do it. Pretty heavy stuff to lay on someone, let alone a 12-year-old. Although they might not sense their true purpose (at least not before this revelation), their existence at Hailsham is, still, rather bleak.

Excitement is stirred when a man comes to the school loaded down with boxes full of “merchandise”. With everything unpacked, our trio’s selections consist of cast-off toys, dolls with missing arms, etc. All things most people would just chuck in the bin. Tommy buys Kathy an audio cassette. One of the songs on the tape is a sad, lovelorn ballad called “Never Let Me Go”. Over time, Kathy’s feelings for Tommy grow into something beyond friendship. But then, Ruth steps in and easily manipulates him away from Kathy.

As adults, the trio (Knightley, Garfield and Mulligan) are reunited and it’s clear Tommy and Kathy still have feelings for each other. Ruth admits she only went after Tommy because she was jealous of Kathy. But, confessions and heartbreak aside, Ruth and Tommy are revealed to be past their sell date and not long for this Earth.