Once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty-something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt), is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get-rich-quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other... specialised situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find new respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to joys and challenges of being there for one another - no matter what - while discovering personal healing in the most unexpected way.