Lower City has a simplistic plot � two best friends fall in love with the same girl, who happens to be a prostitute with a heart of gold and a really indecisive streak, and that puts their friendship in peril. This exposition takes place in the first reel of the movie, following which the film becomes dramatically inert, but it still remains a scintillatingly sexy movie even though it is not particularly deep. There is a lot of nudity and a lot of sex, so much so that it threatens to derail the narrative. Thankfully the performances of the three leads are quite strong, as is the cinematography, which helps to augment the sliver-thin plot.

Best friends since childhood, Deco and Naldinho eke out a living by transporting cargo on their motorboat. They also go around the port towns in the region, partying and occasionally taking up shady jobs to help supplement their income. They meet sexy dancer-prostitute Karinna, and both men fall head over heels in love and lust for her. A quick tryst transforms into a love triangle, as Karinna love both men equally and is unable to choose.

Director Sergio Machado imbues the film with a strong sexual tension, and Alice Braga and the rest of the cast get topless so regularly that it almost numbs the senses, but the end result is that of a sultry film that almost sets the screen ablaze.

The locations in the film are also saturated in colours and vividly shot, giving the audience a glimpse into the not-so-touristy areas of Brazil (though City of God manages a better job in this aspect).