In 1955 Texas, the youthful members of the notorious Sawyer family are relegated to an isolated farmhouse under the domineering eye of their matriarch, Verna. The family's youngest son, Jed, exhibits a disturbing interest in death, which his family encourages as part of their grotesque family tradition. When Verna attempts to retrieve Jed after an incident involving the murder of the daughter of local sheriff Hartman, her efforts are denied, leading to Jed's removal from her custody. The sheriff, seeking vengeance for his daughter's death, decides to send Jed to a mental institution, hoping to erase his Sawyer identity and punish him through isolation from his family.

Years pass, and Jed, now under a new identity, befriends other inmates, including the unhinged Ike and the manipulative Clarice, as well as a nurse named Lizzy who dreams of a life beyond the institution's walls. Their existence within the facility is marked by brutality and a desperate desire for freedom. A violent breakout orchestrated by Ike sets the group on a deadly path of escape, dragging Lizzy along as an unwilling participant. As they evade law enforcement led by the vengeful Sheriff Hartman, the escapees leave a trail of carnage in their wake. The journey not only forces them to confront the darker aspects of their psyches but also propels Jed towards an inescapable fate deeply intertwined with his family's sinister legacy.