In a quiet Kansas town, a prosperous farmer and his family are brutally murdered in their home by two ex-convicts, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. Initially, both men are unaware that their meticulously planned heist for a non-existent safe is based on false information. After committing the heinous crime, Perry and Dick go on the run, attempting to evade authorities while grappling with their own personal demons and the eerie bond between them, formed through shared desperation and criminal intent.

As the investigation into the family's murder intensifies, law enforcement, led by a determined detective, unravels the details of the brutal slayings. The narrative alternates between the meticulous police work assembling clues, and the fugitives' attempts at freedom, showcasing their fractured psyche and the sociopathic tendencies driving them. The film paints a chilling portrait of the randomness of the crime and the psychological complexity of its perpetrators while maintaining a relentless pace towards an inevitable confrontation between justice and cold-blooded moral corruption.