William Bonin (Scott Leet) drove the highways of California looking for dozens of victims to murder in the late 1970s. A Vietnam veteran, Bonin goes on a killing spree, choosing teenage boys as his target. With an alcoholic mother Alice (Eileen Dietz), he has an unhappy life and meets teenager Vernon Butts (Dusty Sorg) and his friend whom they murder by strangulation, thus beginning a strange partnership between Bonin and Butts. They take photographs of their victims and show them to potential victims like Kyle (Cole Williams) who chooses to join them. Kyle finds Vernon is jealous of the inclusion into the hitchhiker murder plots, which will undo the unholy alliance. A vigilant cop named St. John (Michael Rooker) captures the murderers before another victim is selected.