德瑞克(爱德华•诺顿 Edward Norton 饰)的父亲在他很小的时候就被一名黑人毒贩射杀,从此给他幼小的心灵埋下了仇恨的种子。原来德瑞克功课很好,是老师眼中的好学生。但自从父亲遇难后,他就将一切心机都放在了对付有色人种上面。他积极组织起一帮白人青年混混,到处和有色人种对着干。一次,他射杀了两名黑人,因此入狱。
入狱后,德瑞克加入了一伙新纳粹的白人。后来,因工作关系他和一名黑人成了好友,他开始反思自己的过去。当他意欲脱离狱中新纳粹组织时,遭到了拳打脚踢。德瑞克出狱后,决心和以前自己组织的帮会脱离关系,带着弟弟远走他乡开始新的生活。
Hayley Udall tries to make ends meet for herself and her 14 year-old daughter while providing alimony for a horrible ex-husband. She wishes her problems with her ex could go away, and upon venting her frustrations one night, finds herself tangled up in a pact with two people (Melanie and Kevin) to "eliminate" each other's problems. It seemed innocent wishful thinking before, but as people end up dead-including Hayley's ex-husband-Hayley is trapped to fulfill the pact or risk taking the fall for murder. She tries to clear her name but the police (led by Detective Marks) is eyeing her for her ex-husband's death as well as others. Then Melanie abducts Hayley's daughter as leverage for Hayley to follow through and kill one last person. With Detective Marks trying to find the truth, Hayley must hurry to save her daughter and find a way to avoid murder.