Sitting on the Edge of Marlene is told through the eyes of sixteen year old Sammie. Sammie attends welfare-sponsored after-school Jesus Camp while her alcoholic mother Marlene goes on crime sprees. Mother and daughter share a romantic fascination with death as an ideal far and away better than the world they’re in currently. As they wait for Sammie’s father to get out of prison, Sammie is drawn into the family con business to make ends meet. Meanwhile, she’s exploring options out of their situation in the way of other possible saviors. When Sammie’s father fails to show up after his release from prison, Marlene’s desperate mission to find someone who loves her sends her into a downward spiral. Things go from bad to worse for the pair, culminating in one last high-risk con in hopes of escaping their dire situation. A roller coaster night leads to an unusual deliverance for them both as Sammie takes matters into her own hands.