Detective Joel Campbell (James Spader) has been tracking David Allen Griffin (Keanu Reeves), a smooth cunning serial killer who meticulous watches his victims for weeks before administering a long drawn out death by torture. But David is too smart for Joel, and time after time this killer slips through his fingers. Joel gives up hope of ever catching this guy, and decides to leave the FBI. Relocating to another city and beginning life again, Joel feels he can let the past failures go until pictures of new murder victims start being sent to him. Joel knows these victims are David's and that David is now taunting him. He gives the pictures to the police but refuses to get involved again in the case. Somehow, Joel gets drawn in against his will, but will he ever be able to catch David?