九個朋友，去森林露營過程中他們經歷了一個瘋狂的奪命之夜。派對醒來時，九個人胸前綁著自殺式炸彈，倒計時鐘上都有不同的時間。當他們發現可以通過殺死對方來“占用”對方的時間時，自相殘殺開始了。

　　The main character is Dr. Max Holst, a successful neurosurgeon. One day an intense little man named Steinmetz shows up, who has the real ability to create objects out of thin air, using only his mind. As no one believes him at first, he is held at a ward for mental patients, but manifests the key to his door and escapes. As he has a special interest in Dr. Holst, Steinmetz subsequently invites Holst to his large mansion, which is full of expensive paintings and sculptures, and proves to him that he can in fact materialise objects. Steinmetz’s abilities are evolving by leaps and bounds, and is progressing from being able to create objects only to being able to create living things. His ultimate ambition is to be able to create a human being. He tells Dr. Holst that if he will only perform a certain brain operation on him, Steinmetz will become able to attain his goal. He’s got all the necessary equipment set up in his basement. Dr. Holst, however, is too spooked by the whole thing to agree to this mad scheme, and refuses. Steinmetz then sets about manipulating Holst’s life, to pressure him into performing the operation. By then Steinmetz has become able to create a temporary human being, and in the hope that he can perhaps make his own creation perform the operation, he manifests a doppelganger of Dr. Holst. This double proceeds to take over Dr. Holst’s life, creating chaos for him professionally and personally. And then Dr. Holst starts fighting back. The ending has the dual virtue of being both unexpected and satisfying.

　　在孔雀鎮的鐵路旁邊，生活著一個有著灰暗過去的男子——約翰·斯基爾帕（希里安·墨菲 Cillian Murphy 飾），他自幼在母親的淫威下長大，由此養成了壓抑自閉的性格。在母親去世后，約翰的人格分裂，其內心生出象征母性的女子埃瑪。約翰就這樣在男女兩個身份間轉換，過著平靜而扭曲的隱蔽生活。　　某個清晨，災禍突然降臨。一個火車頭脫軌闖入約翰家的院子，正在晾曬衣物的埃瑪受到驚嚇，并且出現在小鎮人民的面前。人們對此議論紛紛，約翰則希望盡快將火車頭清除院子，然而政客們卻打算以此作為政治斗爭的砝碼。面對種種混亂的局面，約翰和埃瑪的心中焦慮重重，他們的矛盾也漸次激化……

　　蓋布麗（安琪拉·瓊斯 Angela Jones 飾）的童年里有一段非常可怕的經歷，年幼的她曾經在兇殺現場親眼目睹死尸。這一段奇異的人生經歷讓蓋布麗開始對尸體和死亡產生了好奇之心，這股子好奇隨著她年齡的增大越發強烈起來，蓋布麗甚至會特意的收藏報紙上的謀殺新聞做成剪報冊，時時翻閱溫習。　　邁阿密接連發生兇殺案，被害者均是養尊處優的闊太太，而且無不身首異處。這起連環殺人案件很快就吸引了蓋布麗的注意，為了能夠更加接近命案現場，蓋布麗來到了一間專門清理命案現場的保潔公司應聘成為了員工，并且在機緣巧合之下同連環殺人犯（威廉·鮑德溫 William Baldwin 飾）有了一面之緣。