A Caribbean family vacation turns into a nightmare when Dr. Kevin Riley, his wife Julie, and their young son Andy find themselves stranded on a deserted island after their rented boat’s engine fails. The idyllic escape quickly sours under the scorching sun and dwindling supplies, prompting them to accept help from a local fisherman, Miguel Kaba. What appears as a rescue soon reveals a chilling twist: Kaba demands a ransom of one million dollars in exchange for their safety—an impossible sum that he insists Riley must secure if his family is to survive.
Desperate and terrified, Riley begs off, insisting he doesn’t have the money. Undeterred, Kaba separates him from his family, taking him away and leaving Julie and Andy behind. Riley is forced to scramble, calling in favors from friends and acquaintances to gather enough funds, racing against both time and a morally hollow kidnapper eager to see them suffer.
Once Riley manages to raise a sum deemed satisfactory, Kaba offers to return him—but the man is treacherous. During the return trip, Kaba locks Riley in a cabin and scuttles the boat with the help of an accomplice, leaving him to drown. Miraculously, Riley escapes, eventually drifting into the path of a passing tourist vessel and reaching the mainland. Yet instead of relief, he encounters skepticism: authorities doubt his story, suspecting perhaps foul play involving his own family. Lacking verifiable evidence or witnesses, Riley’s pleas fall flat.
Refusing to relent, Riley leverages a keen observation: a distinctive scar on Kaba’s arm triggers a memory, leading Riley to a doctor who treated the wound. With her help, he tracks down Kaba’s residence and confronts the merciless fisherman. The confrontation spirals into chaos—Kaba’s child is accidentally killed by a harpoon during the struggle, and in a desperate act of survival, Riley slits Kaba’s throat.
At this point, Riley is taken into custody. Even as he lies weak in a hospital, the law sees him not as a hero but a man who may have fabricated the whole ordeal. Yet fate intervenes: Riley escapes custody, and by chance encounters Kaba’s accomplice on a city bus. Before succumbing to injuries from a traffic accident, the accomplice indicates the island where Riley’s family was abandoned. Driven by desperation, Riley steals a boat and races back to rescue them.
In a harrowing climax, Riley finds his wife and son weakened but alive. As he cradles his boy aboard the boat, an exhausted Riley goes back ashore for Julie. He collapses beside her, fatigue claiming him. Just when hope dims, a police helicopter spots the stolen boat—suggesting that help has finally arrived. The final moment—a flicker of his eyes—hints that his family may yet survive together.
