Returning from duty with the Australian navy, John Ingram (Sam Neill) is surprised to be met by two policemen, who inform him of an accident that has left his son dead and his wife, Rae (Nicole Kidman), injured. The grieving couple seeks efuge on their yacht. Out on the boat, the skies are sunny, the sea calm... but on the horizon is another vessel, the Orpheus. As John and Rae approach the ship, they find a lone survivor, Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane), who tells them that the other crew members have died of food poisoning. Leaving Rae behind with the sleeping Hughie, the suspicious John boards the Orpheus, only to be confronted with a horrifying situation.