Meet the Applegates

A logging crew is ambushed by a family of giant shapeshifting mutant bugs called the Brazilian Cocorada. The creatures reveal their true forms and demonstrate deadly, predatory abilities, establishing the threat that frames the story.

The Applegates move into a well-off suburb and begin the process of assimilating into human society. It is revealed that they are secretly exploring humanity as part of a mission to eradicate humans, and Dick has taken a job at a nearby nuclear power plant.

Dick is secretly working on a plan to trigger a nuclear explosion that would wipe out humans and leave the bugs in peace. The family maintains their cover while he pursues this dangerous scheme.

The Applegates begin to drift from their ideal family image as personal lives crumble. Dick starts an affair at work, and Jane becomes addicted to shopping and credit cards, straining their relationships and threatening their cover.

Johnny embraces heavy metal culture and experimentation, and his true bug form is accidentally revealed. In a panic, he cocoons his human friends and hides them away, exposing the danger of their mission.

Sally's true insect nature is revealed during an assault by Vince. In panic, she cocoons him and hides him in the basement, illustrating the perils of living undercover as humans.

Aunt Bea is dispatched to bring the family back to their mission and ensure they complete the assignment. Her arrival signals a renewed push to exterminate humans, testing the family’s loyalty.

Dick's affair with his secretary leads to them both getting fired, and the lover begins blackmail. In panic, Dick cocoons her to silence the threat, escalating the family’s secret violence.

Jane's mounting debt draws collectors to the house, and she cocoons the two men who come to collect. The family’s secret grows more fragile as their human facade unravels.

In a desperate bid to pay debts, Jane tries to rob a local convenience store but is caught by a sheriff who also falls victim to their power and is cocooned. The family’s secret expands into danger for the community.

A journalist and photographer arrive to announce they have won the prize for the most normal American family. They quickly spot Sally's pregnancy, challenging the family's pretence and triggering tension about their true nature.

During the struggle over the prize, Sally goes into labor and gives birth to a large insect egg that rolls toward the journalist. The journalist, disgusted, stomps on the egg and is killed by the act, and the family is quickly cocooned again.

Bea arrives and pushes for the mission, but the family has grown fond of humans. In a decisive moment, Dick intervenes and kills Bea to prevent a nuclear explosion, saving the town and the humans.

The Applegates return to Brazil, where the plant did not blow but released enough radiation to remove hair from much of the town's population. The family’s actions have altered the local landscape, though their presence remains ambiguous.

A deleted post-credits scene reveals that Aunt Bea survived the confrontation and still intends to destroy the world, leaving the door open for a possible sequel or alternative fate for the family.