The film is set in the near future, in a world of perfect capitalism. Society is supported by a high performer class, contented and motivated people living in a bright, friendly, transparent, perfectly efficient middle-class world. The so-called minimum earners are kept subdued in slumbertowers. The overwhelming majority of the high performers feel happy and fulfilled. For the others, an outsourcing agency, Life Guidance, has been put in place to help them to become optimised people too.