TV director James Ballard (James Spader) is badly injured in a car crash with a couple, killing the husband and badly injuring the wife, Dr Helen Remington (Holly Hunter). After recovering, both survivors encounter each other and discover that they are now sexually aroused by car accidents. Along with James' wife, Catherine Ballard (Deborah Kara Unger), the three become obsessed and join a car accident re-enactment sexual fetish cult. This cult is led by Vaughan (Elias Koteas), a scientist that was disfigured in an accident, who is now obsessed with the combination of sexual fantasies combined with car crashes. They all partake in an underground world of sex acts in cars, re-enacting car crashes while having sex, and viewing pictures/movies of car accidents and pornography together.