In an early-2000s Wellington household, three generations of women navigate love, ambition and change. Single mother Maxine (Marta Dusseldorp) struggles to fund her filmmaking dreams, and teenage daughter Cassie (Anais Shand) faces the pressures of growing up. All while grandmother Huia (Lisa Harrow) quietly confronts a dementia diagnosis, retreating into her fascination with monarch butterflies as her mind begins to falter. When the family’s needs clash, they must learn to adapt together. Caterpillar marks actor-turned-director Chelsie Preston Crayford's move into feature filmmaking in this female-led family drama.