Frank McCloud, a disillusioned World War II veteran, travels to a remote hotel in the Florida Keys to pay his respects to the family of a fallen comrade. The hotel is run by the comrade's widow, Nora Temple, and his wheelchair-bound father, James Temple. Upon his arrival, Frank finds the once serene hotel now occupied by a group of sinister guests led by the notorious gangster Johnny Rocco. Tension mounts as a hurricane threatens the region, trapping everyone inside the hotel together.

As the storm intensifies, so do the interactions between the characters. Frank is thrust into moral dilemmas as he tries to protect the Temples from Rocco and his gang while grappling with his own war-weary conscience. The confined setting heightens the suspense, drawing sharp lines between courage and cowardice, loyalty and betrayal. The oppressive atmosphere of the hurricane mirrors the internal tumult faced by Frank, culminating in a gripping standoff that forces him to confront his deepest fears and make choices that will alter all their lives forever.