Cabin Fever

In a remote woods, Henry's dog dies from a mysterious illness. Blood from the dog sprays onto Henry, signaling contamination and danger to anyone nearby. This grisly moment establishes an ominous mood that foreshadows the spread of a deadly threat.

The vacation begins with a jolt at a nearby General Store when Dennis, the manager’s mentally impaired son, unexpectedly bites Paul. The incident hints at a predatory undercurrent within the retreat. The bite also foreshadows the ongoing danger creeping through the group.

Bert ventures into the woods to shoot squirrels and ends up shooting Henry, worsening Henry's mysterious illness. Realizing the severity, Bert flees to avoid the consequences of what he witnessed. Henry's infection becomes a focal point of fear for the remaining group.

That night, an unsettling intruder named Grim arrives with a Belgian Malinois named Dr. Mambo, interrupting the campfire ritual. Their presence injects a tense sense of threat into the already fragile safety net. The group begins to sense that the danger is not just an illness but something more invasive.

Henry stumbles to the cabin seeking aid, only to be shut out by Bert. In a desperate bid for help, Henry tries to steal a vehicle, triggering a confrontation that ends with a vehicle fire. The burned car and Henry’s escape push him back into the woods, deepening the crisis.

With dawn, Jeff and Bert venture out to find assistance, hoping to explain what has happened. A farmer offers aid but withdraws upon learning Henry is her cousin, illustrating how personal ties complicate trust. Deputy Winston arrives to investigate the disturbances, promising a tow before moving on as the situation remains unresolved.

Dr. Mambo reappears at the cabin, appearing infected and menacing. Marcy uses a rifle to scare off the dog-wielding threat, cutting the immediate danger. The confrontation underscores how contagion and violence are closing in on everyone.

The group learns Karen is infected with a flesh-eating virus, with her leg already decaying. Fearing contagion, they lock Karen in a shed for safety. Paul heads out on foot to find help but is blocked by strangers who mistake him for a peeping Tom.

The next morning, Karen vomits blood, signaling the disease's spread. Bert drives to the general store to face the mounting danger, while Jeff abandons the group and flees to a remote shack. The fractures among the survivors deepens as hope dwindles.

Marcy and Paul share a fragile moment, apprising each other of the fear consuming them. They notice marks on Marcy's back, signaling the advancing illness. The realization drives home the idea that infection could touch anyone at any moment.

At the general store, Dennis bites Bert's hand just as Paul had earlier. Tommy, Dennis's father, lashes out and forces Bert to run for safety. Paul stumbles upon a badly burned but alive Henry at the lake, who then attacks Paul, ending with Paul killing Henry in self-defense.

Marcy is mauled by Dr. Mambo, her infection accelerating to a grisly fate. Paul returns to the boat shed to find Karen begging him to end her life, and, with an empty gun, sets the shed ablaze, watching Karen burn alive. The loss weighs heavily as fear and desperation intensify.

Bert makes it back to the cabin only to be shot dead by Tommy. Paul seizes Bert's rifle and kills Tommy and his two accomplices in a brutal confrontation. He escapes in Tommy's truck, but a crash into a tree and a subsequent explosion leave him bloodied and adrift.

Hazmat crews and authorities sweep the scene as Deputy Winston receives a directive to shoot Paul on sight. Paul persuades her to let him go, buying a temporary reprieve from capture. The scene hints at a larger spread and a longer chase beyond the cabin.

The following morning, Jeff returns to the cabin and discovers the still, silent aftermath: the bodies of his friends and Tommy's accomplices. Paul collapses in the woods from the infection, and Dennis later finds his corpse. A final image shows Jeff’s corpse washing up near a tainted lake, signaling the outbreak's reach beyond the immediate scene.