Two young lovers, Ron and Dale, are on the run from the law, after Ron kills Dale's boss. They chose to hide in a country estate occupied by Andrew, an agoraphobic art dealer with his own dark secrets. Here, everything begins to unravel, as Dale's strange resemblance to Andrew's former fiancee, her desperate desire to get away from her life as a stripper, and Ron's intemperate love for her all begin to collide.
According to a 2005 article in the Canberra Times (see below), Restraint was originally due for release under the name Guests. The change of name presumably came about as part of the alterations to the film in the three years between completion and release (see notes under 'Release date').