After Howie's mother dies his father, a corrupt building contractor, can barely keep tabs on his new girlfriend, let alone his son's emotional needs. To cope with the pressures that he is under, Howie (Dano) begins to spend more time with his delinquent friends whose pastimes include ditching school and robbing local houses to finance their habits. In the aftermath of one of these burglaries Paul and his friends meet ex-marine Big John (Cox) and it is then that Howie discovers the secret that binds his friend to this mysterious older man.

When his best friend suddenly skips town and his father is busted, Howie is completely alone. Can Big John become the paternal figure that Howie needs or will his predatory instincts prevail?