Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) is a successful lawyer, father and husband. His family seems to be perfect, despite a rocky past which includes Sam cheating on his wife, Leigh (Jessica Lange). When ex-client Max Cady (Robert De Niro) is released from jail 14 years after Sam's weak defense put him there, Cady seeks revenge. Determined to ruin Sam's family and so-called perfect life, Cady begins to charm Sam's daughter, Danielle (Juliet Lewis) and harass Sam, even going so far as to poison his dog. Tensions come to a peak when Max Cady breaks into the Bowden household and decides to end things once and for all. What takes place is a gruesome man-hunt that leads the Bowden family all the way to Cape Fear Lake where they will have to face the killer once and for all.