Los Angeles, 1972. After she is abandoned by her husband, bored suburban housewife Barbi embarks on a journey of erotic self-discovery. Seeking liberation from her staid life, she embraces the colorful world of the sexual revolution, encountering nudist colonies, bohemian orgies, and bisexuality.

Mimicking the plastic sheen of 1960s suburbia with ironic exactitude, Anna Biller skewers the Russ Meyer–style sexploitation picture with acerbic feminist wit. Starring the director in an undaunted lead performance, Viva is as indulgent as it is unsparing: a sugary cocktail laced with poison.