When Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) begins having nightmares of an encroaching, apocalyptic storm, he refrains from telling his wife, Samantha (THE TREE OF LIFE’s Jessica Chastain). To protect her and their six-year-old daughter Hannah, who is deaf, Curtis starts channeling his anxiety and money into the obsessive building of a storm shelter in their backyard. While Hannah’s healthcare and special needs education has resulted in financial struggle for the modest family, Curtis’ seemingly inexplicable behavior concerns and confounds Samantha, and provokes intolerance among co-workers, friends and neighbors. However, the resulting strain on his marriage and tension within the community doesn’t compare to Curtis’ private fear of what his dreams may truly signify.
Faced with the proposition that his disturbing visions signal disaster of one kind or another, Curtis finally opens up to Samantha, testing the power of their bond against the highest possible stakes.