In "Naked Lunch," Bill Lee, a dispassionate exterminator, and his listless wife, Joan, indulge in drug-fueled escapades with their Beat poet friends. Their lives take a dark turn when they encounter the sinister Dr. Benway, who introduces Bill to a mind-altering substance derived from a centipede. In a tragic twist, Bill unwittingly kills Joan and finds himself in a bizarre, ever-changing Mediterranean city. As he navigates this surreal landscape, he discovers that his friends have published his writings, leaving him bewildered about the origin of the words he cannot recall.