Sandro is both criminal and victim, growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. After witnessing his mother’s murder at age 10, he falls in with a gang of local homeless kids. When the gang leader threatens the police, the police kill hundreds of the homeless children in the Candelaria Massacre. Sandro is one of the few survivors, but ends up in a reformatory jail where he befriends Ale, who helps him escape. The streets offer nothing more than a criminal life and staying straight takes more effort than Sandro could imagine. His life is looking up until one day he goes to his fiancé’s house and finds her sleeping with Ale. Sandro cracks, furiously attacks Ale and in his despair hijacks a municipal bus – Bus #174, a ride that culminates in disastrous consequences.