The narrator begins by recounting a tedious tale surrounding an ancient Native American civilization that mysteriously vanished without a trace.
Fast forward to the present day, we meet Edward Carnby, portrayed by Christian Slater, who finds himself on an airplane plagued by a haunting nightmare from his childhood. In this dream, he recalls a terrifying moment where he hid in a high-voltage box while observing bizarre, otherworldly creatures.
As an adult, Edward—now a paranormal investigator—is on a quest to uncover the remnants of the Abkani, an extinct Indian tribe that disappeared mysteriously 10,000 years ago. He stumbles upon a trinket related to this lost civilization and heads to a museum to meet Aline Cedrac, played by Tara Reid, who is an assistant curator and Edward's ex-girlfriend. She is currently scanning more Abkani artifacts, but their reunion is cut short when James Pinkerton, a supernatural foe (played by Ed Anders), confronts Edward, attempting to seize the precious artifact. However, Edward manages to fend him off.
Meanwhile, Professor Lionel Hudgens, acted by Matthew Walker, narrowly survives a perilous sea expedition where his crew discovers a gold coffin on the ocean floor. Ignoring Hudgens’ warnings, the greedy captain and crew open the coffin, leading to their demise shortly after. Hudgens escapes, clutching another item from the now-infamous coffin, which is believed to have contained a mysterious creature.
After the coffin is opened, an ex-friend of Edward mysteriously vanishes. Across the USA and Canada, others wander off as if under a spell, drawn by an unseen force. Edward is suddenly jolted awake by a mind-splitting screech while examining the Abkani artifact in his apartment. This moment coincides with activity at an underground military installation known as Research Agency Bureau 713, where technicians detect unusual electromagnetic waves stemming from the coffin's location.
Harnessing his past experiences with Bureau 713, Edward interprets these events as linked to the Abkani. His investigation leads him to the Natural History Museum that evening, where Aline shows him another Abkani artifact. Just as they reconnect and discuss their common interests, disaster strikes as the creature from the ship attacks, resulting in chaos. They manage to hide from the creature long enough for Bureau 713 agents to arrive, causing the beast to retreat.
Commander Richard Burke, played by Stephen Dorff, arrives and minimizes Edward's observations, insisting that he no longer belongs in their operations. The next day, Edward seeks insights from his former colleagues, including Sam Fischer, a staff surgeon. As they analyze the body of a deceased friend, Fischer discovers that Edward has a similar creature embedded within him, a consequence of childhood experiments he underwent.
As the situation escalates, Professor Hudgens reemerges at the museum with his own captive creature and begins to conduct sinister experiments. Edward pursues answers regarding his dark past and reestablishes a relationship with Aline, leading them to share intimate moments together amidst rising tensions.
With nightfall, Bureau 713 soldiers try to maintain peace at the museum while coming under attack from the resurrected creatures that were once missing. A fierce battle ensues, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Amid the fray, Edward manages to pocket Burke's Bureau badge, giving him the means to infiltrate the organization's operations once more.
The revelation of the Abkani's history unfolds; they once battled these creatures, which are vulnerable to light, hence their nocturnal behavior. The artifacts serve as gateways to a dimension filled with dormant monsters. In a reckless quest for power, Hudgens injects himself with the potent blood of a creature, transforming into a being capable of commanding these monsters.
In a climax filled with adrenaline, Edward, Aline, and Burke engage in a prolonged, vicious confrontation against the reptilian foes at the orphanage. After a grueling 20-minute battle, they reach the old surgery room, where Hudgens seeks to utilize Edward's artifact to unlock the gate to the world of creatures. As they fight to protect humanity, Burke makes the ultimate sacrifice, detonating a bomb that engulfs the chaos in flames.
Emerging from the shadows of the orphanage at dawn, Edward and Aline find a deserted city, filled with abandoned vehicles and eerie silence. As they walk through the desolation, unsettling noises pierce the quiet, signaling the onset of further dangers. The final scene leaves them in suspense—facing an uncertain future, they turn, ready to confront whatever new terrors await in the light of day, despite the familiar myth that monsters fear it.
Could it be that the gate to horrors remains ajar, setting the stage for a potential sequel? Only time will tell, but it seems the nightmares are far from over.
