Brian is a lone inventor living in a remote valley in North Wales. After a particularly harsh, lonely and depressing winter, Brian decides to build a robot: Charles. Over 2 meters tall, Charles has an absurd appearance, to say the least, reminiscent of a slightly shaky old man. Charles initially struggles to get active, then one dark and stormy evening Brian returns home to find that Charles not only works, but has exceeded all his expectations. It is a form of life able to walk and talk, with the ways of a curious child, eager to know the surrounding environment and how everything works. At first Brian and Charles have fun together, the robot is the perfect antidote to Brian's loneliness. However, as their relationship evolves, things get more and more tense. Charles, as a growing child, longs for independence, is increasingly obsessed with the desire to discover the world, while Brian is reluctant to share his robot with the outside world.