The story follows the Carter family, a typical suburban clan traveling through the Nevada desert on vacation. While crossing a remote military testing area, their vehicle breaks down, leaving them stranded in a barren, desolate region.

What they don’t know is that the area is inhabited by a cannibalistic, feral family—mutated survivors of nuclear testing who live in the hills. The savages soon begin stalking and attacking the Carters, leading to a brutal fight for survival. The civilized family is forced to turn savage themselves to survive the ordeal.