Mildred Pierce depicts an overprotective, self-sacrificing mother during the Great Depression who finds herself separated from her husband, opening a restaurant of her own and falling in love with a man, all the while trying to earn her spoiled, narcissistic daughter's love and respect.

Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?

Cookie is a teen runaway who escapes her abusive stepfather and heads for the Big Apple with her younger brother. When she arrives at the Port Authority bus terminal, Cookie meets a charming but sadistic pimp named Duke. With nowhere to go, Cookie is soon working for Duke, who introduces her to the harsh, brutal life of being a prostitute.