Set in 1979, the film follows a Seattle couple: Cameron Bancroft as Roger Lewis, a police officer and former park ranger, and Alyssa Milano as Denise Harris, a 22-year-old waitress. They are invited by businessman Duncan Fraser as Wylie Bennett to Alaska to seek a goldmine, with the understanding that 10% of any profits will go to them if they strike it rich.
They are flown to a remote plot about 75 miles from the nearest civilization, with only a dog for company and a radio that barely picks up a signal. The couple is set up in a cabin and spends their first weeks in relative quiet, yet the sense of isolation grows as supplies dwindle and it becomes clear that no help is coming. Denise, though curious and willing, remains hesitant about venturing deeper into the wilderness, while Roger treats the expedition as a grand adventure and a test of endurance.
Even when they score their first gold, they quickly realize that the find won’t feed them or keep them warm through the looming winter. With winter approaching, they decide to head back to civilization, gathering what supplies they can and packing the gold into a canoe as their sole means of transport. By day three, a storm throws Denise into the frigid water and swamps the canoe. By day five, Winston Rekert as Bill DeCreeft, the aviator who flew them to Surprise Bay, learns that no one has flown out with fresh supplies and begins a search mission. Roger and Denise, meanwhile, establish a camp near the river in hopes of a passing boat, but it becomes clear they are completely on their own and must improvise to survive.
As the days crawl by, the couple confront a string of brutal tests. Denise loses their remaining food while crossing a river, and Roger’s temper flares at her lapse, though she manages to apologize even as he barely listens and nearly slips to his death. The cold tightens its grip; frostbite cripples Roger, and the threat of hypothermia hangs over them as they press on. Denise endures a near-fatal fall through ice, an ordeal she survives, and her resolve to reach civilization hardens even as Roger’s hope starts to fade. At one point, the couple even faces the grim consideration of feeding their dog, Newman, to survive, but Roger refuses to sacrifice the animal they both lean on.
By day fourteen, Roger’s frostbite is so severe that he can hardly speak. He contemplates ending their lives with their remaining bullets, but Denise refuses to yield to despair. On day seventeen, a helicopter leads by DeCreeft appears on the horizon, but the crew misses them, leaving Denise to rally Roger and try a new plan to reach open land and signal rescuers. The pair cling to the slim possibility of rescue, and finally, on day nineteen, they are spotted and saved by DeCreeft, bringing their harrowing journey to a difficult, hard-won conclusion.
