The film begins with a mesmerizing dance performance by an unnamed dancer, Charles "Lil Buck" Riley, as he glides through various stunning locales in Brooklyn during the credit sequence.
As the story unfolds, we are introduced to Dr. Hess Green (portrayed by Stephen Tyrone Williams), a wealthy African-American anthropologist and art aficionado who comes into possession of an ancient dagger from the Ashanti Empire. This highly advanced civilization, as Green elaborates, developed an addiction to blood transfusions. Later that evening, Lafayette Hightower (played by Elvis Nolasco), a volatile colleague from the museum, pays a visit to Green's lavish mansion on Martha's Vineyard, adorned with African art. The two engage in a cordial dialogue about history and philosophy, but things take a dark turn when, after Green retires for the evening, Hightower, drunk and distressed, attempts suicide by climbing a tree with a noose. Green intervenes and saves him, yet tragedy strikes later when Hightower, in a fit of rage, fatally stabs Green with the ceremonial dagger.
To Green's astonishment, he awakens without a scratch on him. Following a gunshot, he stumbles upon Hightower’s lifeless body and, driven by instinct, drinks Hightower's blood. This act transforms him; he finds himself invulnerable and no longer able to consume normal food or drink. Instead, he develops an overwhelming thirst for fresh blood. Although he manages to procure several bags of blood from a doctor's office, his cravings intensify when he encounters Lucky Mays (played by Felicia Pearson), a prostitute whose HIV-positive blood surprisingly revives her after Green drains her. Thankfully, he discovers he has not contracted the virus.
Soon after, Ganja Hightower (portrayed by Zaraah Abrahams](/actor/zaraah-abrahams)), Hightower's estranged ex-wife, arrives at Green's estate looking for her ex-husband, who is indebted to her. A passionate affair blossoms between Green and Ganja, prompting her to move into his grand mansion. On a trip he describes as "business," Green coldly murders Sahara Paysinger (played by Jeni Perillo), a young mother he meets in a Brooklyn park. While Green is away, Ganja inadvertently discovers her ex-husband’s frozen corpse in the wine cellar. Angered at first, Ganja's feelings shift when Green professes his love, leading her to agree to marry him. On their wedding night, he shocks her by stabbing her with the Ashanti dagger, intending for her to share his newfound immortality. Ganja is initially horrified by her transformation but eventually learns to navigate her new existence.
To facilitate her initiation into this dark world, Green brings home an acquaintance, Tangier Chancellor (played by Naté Bova), for Ganja's first kill. Following a seduction, Ganja strangles Tangier, and they bury her body, which like Lucky’s, inexplicably revives. As time passes, Green expresses his weariness with this vampiric life, seeking solace at a local church in Red Hook, where a stirring musical performance captivates him, prompting him to approach the altar.
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Ganja takes a dark turn, murdering Green's devoted servant, Seneschal Higginbottom (portrayed by Rami Malek). When she ultimately seeks Green to share the tale of her deeds, she finds him at death’s door, shrouded in the shadow of a cross. In his final moments, Green dies in Ganja's embrace, finding a sense of peace. Though shrouded in grief, Ganja carries on, presumably embracing her vampiric lifestyle. In the poignant closing scene, she walks to the beach, gazing solemnly at the water before reuniting with the resurrected Tangier, as they stand side by side, facing the endless horizon.
