Reeker

The family is driving through a desert highway when they collide with a deer. The father exits the car and returns with half of his face apparently missing, signaling a brutal attack by an unseen force. The family soon comes under attack, setting a tone of imminent danger.

In a lavish apartment, Trip meets drug dealer Radford who provides pills for a desert rave. He steals all of the pills before leaving, sparking plans for the night's reckless journey. This theft will pull the group into Radford's dangerous orbit.

Trip reunites with Cookie, Nelson, Jack, and Gretchen and they stop at a diner. Trip, not believing Jack is really blind, tricks him into using the women's restroom. He admits to Nelson that he stole the drugs, while Nelson warns about Radford's violent reputation. The dealer then calls with a two-hour deadline to meet at Area 52, Kelton.

The group leaves the diner and spots an overturned car on the highway, which they dismiss as an abandoned accident. A short tremor shakes the area, signaling danger and heightening unease. Gretchen urges caution as they press on.

Gretchen discovers Trip has the drugs and threatens to kick him out of the car. With the car running out of gas, they pull into the Halfway Motel next to the diner to wait for help and shelter. The highway is closed, so Trip volunteers to walk for a signal.

Trip encounters Henry driving an RV who is also searching for his missing wife. Henry joins the group at the motel and explains that he too sees the dead. The uneasy pairing deepens the sense of danger.

While seeking signal, Trip uncovers a still-living head, torso, and arms from a truck driver in a rubbish skip, which crawls away. The grim discovery confirms the supernatural threat is real. The group realizes they are in serious trouble.

In Henry's camper, Henry collapses as a dark figure moves through the trailer. Both Trip and Henry begin seeing the dead, deepening the mystery and fear. The haunting presence escalates as they try to survive.

Trip is attacked on the motel roof by a hooded figure, and Cookie is dragged to his death in an outhouse. The remaining group fights to stay alive as the killer closes in. The motel attack marks a turning point for the survivors.

Nelson nearly escapes but fatally cuts his throat during his attempt to flee. Gretchen and Jack later discover the bodies of Nelson and Henry in the motel, amplifying the sense of loss and horror. The group grapples with the severity of their situation.

The motel deaths are mirrored in the highway crash: Cookie dies from internal bleeding; Nelson's throat is slit; Trip loses an arm and dies; Gretchen and Jack survive the crash. Radford, who had stalked Trip, witnesses the accident and begins having disturbing visions of Trip at the motel and highway. The lines between reality and nightmare blur.

The film reveals that the highway crash occurred as the group tried to call for help, caused by Henry's heart attack. The car the group saw earlier is revealed to be their own vehicle. The events at the motel fade into memory, leaving the survivors unsure of what really happened.

Officers explain Henry's heart attack and the subsequent crash, while Gretchen and Jack struggle to recall the motel's horrors. The memory gaps imply supernatural interference or a dreamlike dissociation from the traumatic night. The ending keeps the mystery alive.

In the closing beat, Gretchen and Jack discuss their missing memories, and Jack notes the color of Gretchen's eyes. The film ends on an unresolved, ambiguous note about what they truly experienced. The sense of memory and perception lingers.