When Alex, a 16-year-old skater, plucks up the courage to go to Paranoid Park - Portland's most challenging and infamous urban skateboard destination - he didn't expect his night to end with the death of a railway security guard.

Deciding to say nothing about the incident, Alex does all he can to lead a normal life, but is troubled by a crushing burden of guilt which impacts on his relationship with one of his school's most sought after girls and his relationship with his parents. Soon he finds he needs to tell somebody his secret, but with the police closing in his choice of confidant could mean the difference between being caught and being free.