La Haine follows three young friends, Vinz, Hubert, and Saïd, in the suburbs of Paris over the course of a tense day. Rioting has erupted due to injuries suffered by Abdel in police custody. Vinz obtains a gun lost by police during the riots and intends to avenge Abdel if he dies. As tensions rise, the three friends spend the day together in Paris and the suburbs. Upon learning that Abdel has died, Vinz becomes increasingly volatile. At the end, Vinz is shot and killed by a plainclothes police officer, and Hubert confronts the officer with a gun, leaving the ending ambiguous.