What was pursued as a consensual sexual encounter in a Manchester alley turns into a rape, after which perpetrator Johnny steals a car and flees for Dalston, a beaten and worn down area in east London. Taking refuge with his former girlfriend Louise, Johnny tries to cope with life in the capital city. In his way, however, stands his high-brow ego, as he considers himself intellectually superior to anyone he encounters. A trait that proves poorly suited in a big city such as London. "Naked" is a study of a man’s megalomania due to manic depression and was Mike Leigh’s first great success in the festival circuit, winning awards for both Best Director and Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival.