The Naked Kiss is arguably the finest example of Samuel Fuller's post-noir Hollywood cult cinema. Drawing on the director's tabloid sensibilities, the film dwells on the uncomfortable and taboo subjects of deviancy, prostitution, and small-town sanctimony: only when viewed up close and in retrospect does it become clear the entire film is about the abuse and exploitation of women. Prostitute Kelly (Constance Towers) decides to give up her illicit lifestyle after a bad tryst with Griff, the town's sheriff, and becomes involved in working with handicapped children. Just as Griff begins to believe that she may be on the level, a murder and scandal threaten to destroy Kelly's new life.