When a handsome, charming teenager named Noah (Ryan Guzman) moves in next door, newly separated high-school teacher Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez) encourages his friendship and engages in a little bit of harmless (or so she thinks) flirtation. Although Noah spends much of the time hanging out with Claire's son, the teen's attraction to her is palpable. One night, Claire gives in to temptation and lets Noah seduce her, but when she tries to end the relationship, he turns violent.

Miles Kody, is a documentary filmmaker. Living off a long ago success he's now searching for his "second" break. He finds that in the seedy world of snuff films. He interviews Vic, a seasoned pro with a menacing, mysterious dark side. Miles becomes obsessed with the subject matter and his subject. Miles' primary investor, Carl, is also very interested, more in the hypnotic allure of the movies and potential for profit. As Miles tapes his interviews with Vic he becomes aware of the appearance of "ghosts" captured on his video monitor. He realizes that the faint energy fields of these ghosts, past victims of the snuff films, are picked up more readily on video. As a ghost becomes more powerful they become more visible to the naked eye. He soon realizes that Vic is in league with the Devil and delivers the souls of his victims to attain more power.

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, the college students Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace Andrews give a ride to the hitchhiker John Ryder. While in their car, the stranger proves to be a psychopath threatening the young couple with a knife, but Jim succeeds to throw him out of the car on the road. On the next morning, the young couple sees John in another car with a family, and while trying to advise the driver that the man is dangerous, they have an accident. While walking on the road, they find the whole family stabbed in the car, and John sees that the driver is still alive. He drives to a restaurant seeking for help, but the police blame Jim and Grace to the murder and send them to the police station. However, John kills the policemen and pursues the couple, playing a tragic and violent mouse and cat game with Grace and Jim.