A poor country girl tries to rebuild her life after murdering the boy who date-raped her in this southern gothic tale straight from the heart of rural America. Blending murder and revenge with themes of redemption and grace, Swimming in a Lake of Fire weaves together the lives of three damaged characters, Lucy Speckle (brilliantly portrayed by newcomer Ariel Burke), just home from prison and ready to mend her ways; her alcoholic preacher father, Ray Speckle (portrayed by Billy Ingram); and a broken-hearted cowboy, Lester Hollis (portrayed by Chris Best). Inspired by Flannery O'Connor and the Coen Brothers' films, SLOF has been called a "southern masterpiece" (Betty Austin-Ware), capturing the beauty of North Carolina and the simplicity of rural life in America, reminiscent of movies such as Black Snake Moan and Winter's Bone.