When Eugene Mechaneck, an ageing narcotics detective, discovers that a seemingly harmless, young criminal, Simon Weeks, has been released from prison, it triggers a firestorm of paranoia and violence as Mechaneck mercilessly hunts Simon for unknown reasons over the course of one long, hot Fourth of July. The closer Mechaneck gets to Simon, the more we understand that his frenzy stems from a shocking secret from Mechaneck's past which only Simon can expose.