The film unfolds in a desolate desert landscape, characterized by its dusty terrain and sparse vegetation, with a note on the screen indicating it's set "some time, someplace, not far from now." The narrative follows an unnamed man, portrayed by Zac Efron, who is seen traveling in a freight train car, where he munches on a piece of bread. At the other end of the compartment, a woman and her infant gaze at him longingly. Moved by their plight, Efron generously offers them the remaining bread before he departs at his stop.
His journey leads him to a dilapidated outpost that serves as a gateway to a location referred to as The Compound, where he intends to go. Despite his inquiries about a driver who is supposed to take him there, the outpost attendant remains as unwelcoming as the arid environment. While attending to personal business in a rundown washroom, he encounters another man played by Anthony Hayes. They quickly embark on their trip toward The Compound, where Hayes demonstrates his opportunistic nature by demanding extra pay for fuel and water almost immediately.
As they navigate the unforgiving desert, their vehicle suffers a breakdown due to a flat tire. Efron lends a hand in fixing it, witnessing the harsh realities of their surroundings when a wild dog brutally attacks a weaker canine. Hayes takes a decisive albeit grim action to end the suffering of the injured dog.
That night, as they rest, Efron confides in Hayes about his motivations for heading to The Compound, showing him a promotional flyer that promises a better life. Hayes, seasoned in the area, cautions Efron about the deceptive nature of corporate hype that entices individuals into seeking labor. The following day proves troublesome as their car overheats when Efron turns on the air conditioning too high. In a surprising turn of events, Efron notices a glimmering rock jutting through the sand, and upon closer examination, they realize they've stumbled upon a sizable gold nugget.
Initially, the men try to unearth the treasure using their bare hands and by tying it to the car, only to discover that it's much larger than anticipated. They decide to split up, with one returning to town for an excavator while the other remains to guard their find. Efron insists on staying with the precious gold, prompting Hayes to drive away in search of help. Alone in the oppressive wilderness, Efron settles in, armed only with a few supplies, including a water jar, foodstuffs, and a satellite phone provided by Hayes for communication.
He marks the gold's location, conceals it back under the sand, and construct a makeshift shelter from a tent and rocks. As the days stretch on, he confronts the harsh elements and the sounds of howling wild dogs lurking nearby. Efron is forced to ration his meager provisions while scavenging for firewood. Venturing farther, he stumbles upon the remnants of a crashed airplane, gathering materials to reinforce his shelter. His isolation and dwindling rations push him into a state of desperation.
After a series of harrowing interactions with the wilderness, including an encounter with a snake he fails to catch, Efron faces a new danger when a mysterious woman appears. While she pressures him for information about his presence, Efron's attempts to evade her inquiries escalate into violence after a confrontation, culminating in her accidental death at his hands. Horrified by what he has done, he tries to bury her but is compelled to incinerate her remains, refusing to allow wild animals to desecrate her.
Days pass, and Efron receives a call from Hayes, who promises to return with the excavator shortly. He wrestles with temptation as he sees a passing vehicle that might offer an escape, yet his greed anchors him to the location of the gold. Soon, a violent sandstorm transforms the landscape and inflicts injury upon him when debris strikes his abdomen. Struggling to manage his wound, he hallucinates and encounters a spirit resembling the woman he had killed. Confused, he dismisses her offer for help as his physical condition worsens, culminating in a grotesque circle of death as wild dogs close in on him.
In a grim twist, Efron's demise unfolds as the feral dogs drag him into the shadows, leaving his fate sealed by the merciless forces of nature. From a distance, Anthony Hayes watches this tragic scene unfold, having set up his own camp nearby, with a clear intention to claim the gold once Efron is out of the way. As he surveys the aftermath of Efron's death, he approaches the gold nugget only to meet his fate at the hands of the scavenger woman’s crossbow. The film ends abruptly with a cut to black, leaving the audience pondering the brutal realities of greed and survival in the unforgiving desert.
