Plot summary

In the coastal community of Grand Isle, Louisiana, two girl scouts visit a large house selling cookies. Fancy, a beautiful and charming proper Southern lady, is so happy to buy, and she is affectionate in a creepy way that bothers the girls.In 1988, Walt gets out of bed when he hears a noise. It is a masked burglar. Walt not only chases him out of the house but fires a gun. The burglar falls, breaking the fence.Buddy is covered with blood while Detective George Jones interrogates him at the police station, making a point of mentioning his faith. Buddy denies committing murder. The movie returns to the interrogation occasionally, showing Detective Newton watching through the one-way mirror.In a flashback, Buddy is at a restaurant with his wife Lisa and their baby. He tries unsuccessfully to sell an investment to a man in a suit. Back at his table, Buddy wonders what his family will do. Lisa isn't ready for sex. And when Lisa offers to go to work, Buddy says no. He says he will provide for his family.At the same house visited by the girl scouts, Fancy puts on a sexy outfit but her husband Walt won't respond. Buddy knocks on the door and Walt answers. He has long hair and a beard and not only looks but acts quite scary. Buddy says he is there to fix the fence. Walt wants it done right away. Buddy says he can do it for $200 but it will take a few days. Walt offers $300 if he can do it the same day. They also talk briefly about their military service. Walt was a marine and Buddy was in the navy. Walt is pleased Buddy served but still considers him inferior and calls him "Tadpole".Two big stories on the news are missing teenagers and an approaching hurricane.Fancy offers Buddy iced tea. He is grateful, though Walt is bothered by his wife's flirty attitude. He puts beer bottles on the fence and shoots at them, which annoys Buddy.Later it starts raining and Buddy says he has to quit. Walt, who is boarding up the windows, is not happy and says he won't pay Buddy the extra money. Buddy's truck won't start so he asks to borrow the couple's Mustang. Walt says no, but he does let Buddy call home. Fancy invites Buddy to dinner and they have a nice conversation and learn about each other. Buddy is genuinely interested to know more about them. Walt is frustrated by his wife's friendliness.Walt and Fancy have been married 15 years that day (though she is mad Walt didn't do anything for the occasion). They met after he came home from Vietnam and he saw her singing jazz in New Orleans. The house has been in her family for generations and was once the place where big social events were held. Buddy says he and Lisa met in elementary school and got married after high school. Walt belittles what seems like an ideal marriage which, of course, is not ideal.Fancy takes Buddy on a tour and shows him the very nice rooms but won't take him to the locked basement. It is so hot she changes clothes behind a screen while Buddy is in the room. There are regular dolls and creepy dolls. Fancy says she wanted children but couldn't have them. Then she flirts with Buddy, who eventually goes downstairs to sleep on the sofa.Buddy wakes up to find Walt drinking. Walt gets him to come up to the attic, where they both drink and talk more about their military service. Walt was injured before he ever saw action, and he was sent home while his entire unit was killed near Da Nang. He is quite bitter about not being able to help them and about how vets were treated when they came home, and he doesn't feel veterans are treated right. Buddy says he was on a ship that was attacked and 37 people were killed, including his friend Carl, who he says he tried to help.Walt asks Buddy to kill his wife. He says Fancy has terminal cancer and will soon suffer greatly. Buddy is reluctant, but Walt offers him a bag filled with thousands of dollars (though no one ever says where the couple got their money, only their house). Walt hands Buddy a bottle of cyanide and Buddy goes downstairs to find Fancy in the bathtub listening to depressing blues music. They have a conversation about how they were mistreated as children, which leads to Fancy getting out of the tub and putting on a robe before they kiss.Back at the police station Detective Jones criticizes Buddy's morals.Fancy and Buddy are putting their clothes back on when Fancy finds the cyanide. Buddy admits what Walt did but Fancy, who is not sick, says she won't say anything. Then Walt is boarding up a window and Fancy stabs him. Walt hits Fancy, knocking her out, and Buddy and Walt get in a fight. Buddy is able to tie up Walt, and Fancy wakes up and asks Buddy to take her away from this place. Walter threatens Buddy and his family, the power goes out, and Buddy ends up going in the basement. Using a flashlight, Buddy finds a young man hooked up to an IV and holding a brightly colored piece of cloth with Japanese letters, who quietly asks for help.By this time, it is clear Fancy was only pretending and Walt is annoyed the stabbing was so realistic.Buddy is knocked out and wakes up in his truck with a dead body. Cops show up and he can't explain.Back at the police station, Jones reminds Buddy he can receive forgiveness but says Buddy will confess eventually, while Buddy continues to maintain his innocence. Lisa comes to visit. Detective Newton shows Jones a photo of a missing woman wearing a dress that looks like Buddy's description of the cloth the boy was holding. Jones shows the photo to Buddy, who says that's what he saw. This is enough to get a warrant and several cops including Jones visit the house, where the couple try to act innocent.A thorough search reveals that the missing woman is being held prisoner, in an attempt to get her to give the couple children. The teenage boys are found as well. Walt manages to escape despite the cops shooting at him, but the cops are able to stop Fancy from leaving as she screams to her husband.Jones returns to the police station and frees Buddy.The big stories on the news are the massive destruction caused by the hurricane, accompanied by footage of incredible damage, and the two-week search for Walt.Buddy tries to stop Lisa from leaving with the baby, but they can't make the marriage work.One day in the restaurant, Buddy is there when shots are fired and everyone has to get down. Walt is outside in uniform and cleaned up, holding Lisa hostage. Walt wants Fancy freed, but she is in a mental institution and can't be let out yet. In the process of persuading Walt to let Lisa go, Buddy admits he didn't try to save Carl, but ran instead. Walt is shot while giving a speech.Buddy is in the hospital and Lisa is willing to work things out.A news story shows photos of the girl scouts, who were found. The missing teens were also found.