Handlung

Follows the Prices and the Talbotts, two families that meet in the remote Texas desert, as they test the boundaries of marriage, friendship, and parenthood, doing their best to survive, while exploring one of the wildest places in America.

The film opens with Cory, Melanie, and their two daughters driving through the remote West Texas desert. As night falls, they briefly stop to observe the mysterious Marfa lights. During this moment, Cory tells Melanie that they shouldn't tell the kids, to which Melanie responds with concern, reminding him that they agreed to wait for the right time. Neither clarifies what they're talking about, but the unease between them is clear.

They arrive late at the home of their old college friends Mac and Georgia Talbot, who live off the grid with their two sons, Conner and Maverick. The families reconnect warmly, though tensions simmer beneath the surface. The Talbot house, though functional and appealing on the surface, has quirks-most notably, the water heater clanks and groans every time it's used. Mac casually explains that he meant to fix it before he rented out the house to vacationers, but hasn't gotten around to it, assuring them it still works fine. Melanie later asks Georgia if there are any guns in the house. Georgia replies that there is one, but it's locked up with the ammo stored separately. Mac justifies it, saying a gun is necessary in the desert because of "wildcats and weirdos."

The next day, Fiona, Cory and Melanie's younger daughter, finds a toad in the yard that appears to be dead. She constructs a little contraption with a hose to keep water running over it, hoping to revive it. Later, the families explore the nearby Ghost Town of Terlingua. During the drive, Melanie is anxious and calms herself with affirmations. While the families explore the town, Melanie is shown descending into a dark cave tunnel. Mac and Cory take a walk through the old graveyard. Mac discusses cryptocurrency, but Cory doesn't seem interested. Mac teases Cory for having bought life insurance at a young age, but Cory insists it was a smart financial move due to the high payout and low cost.

That evening, Melanie and Georgia share a bath and smoke a marijuana vape together. Melanie offers it to Georgia, who opens up about her dissatisfaction in her marriage. While she admits her life is objectively "nice," she feels unfulfilled. When Fiona wanders outside, Georgia goes to take care of it. Melanie again imagines herself descending into the dark cave, but never sees where it leads. The next morning, Cory quietly sneaks out for what he claims is a hike-but in truth, he climbs to a high cliff and appears to contemplate jumping. At the last moment, he changes his mind and returns to the house before anyone notices.

The husbands go on a hike with the kids on a nearby mountain. They let their wives know that there will be no cell signal while they are out. Along the way, Cory encounters a rattlesnake and ominously extends his foot toward it. Mac sees the snake and quickly tosses it off the trail, unaware that Cory may have been daring it to strike. Cory then asks whether the bite would have been fatal, and Mac replies it would've just landed him in the hospital full of anti-venom.

Meanwhile, Melanie and Georgia visit a nearby river to do a mud bath. They continue their earlier conversation, with Georgia admitting that her dissatisfaction has more to do with herself and her parent's opinions than Mac, and that she feels stuck due to Mac's lack of direction. Melanie reveals that she's not pregnant, despite the appearance of a baby bump-she attributes it to stress eating and fibroids.

Back on the trail, Mac and Cory discuss a business venture while overlooking a valley. Mac believes that he could invest in the land and create cheap rentals to appeal to tourists. He invites Cory to the venture, but Cory admits that he is broke. Meanwhile, one of the Talbot boys, Conner, gets stuck on a rocky ledge. While Mac and Cory help him down, Fiona sees a group of wild horses and wanders off to get a closer look.

By the time they get Conner to safety, Fiona has disappeared. As dusk falls, Cory decides to stay on the mountain overnight in case Fiona finds her way back. Mac heads down the mountain to get help and return the other kids to the house. As they leave the river, Georgia and Melanie start to grow anxious that the hiking group hasn't returned yet or contacted them, but they rationalize the delay due to poor cell service on the mountain. They end up drinking with two off-duty rangers at a local bar.

When Melanie and Georgia finally return to the house, they are relieved to see Mac's truck there-until they learn Fiona is missing. Melanie panics. Georgia and Mac gently convince her to try to rest, reasoning that there's nothing more she can do at that hour. She remains anxious.

The next morning, as search efforts ramp up, Melanie confides in Mac and Georgia that Cory has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is expected to die within a year. She breaks down, saying she can't bear to lose both Cory and Fiona. Despite the authorities' warnings, the families insist on continuing their own search.

Meanwhile, during the night, Fiona has stumbled upon a house in the desert occupied by Karl, an escaped convict that authorities have been searching for. Though initially wary, Karl feeds her and decides to help her get back home. He puts her in a makeshift vehicle, taping her in for safety due to a missing seatbelt. They arrive at the Talbot house while everyone is still out searching.

Cory gets a notification from his security app that someone is at the house, and the group rushes back. They are overjoyed to find Fiona safe and recognize Karl as the escaped convict. Despite this, Cory, Melanie, and Georgia decide to let Karl go free to thank him for saving Fiona. However, Mac has already called the police.

When the police arrive, Mac comes out with a shotgun and confronts Karl. Karl warns them not to escalate things and fires a warning shot into the ceiling. Chaos ensues when the kids emerge from the bedroom, but Karl ultimately surrenders. The police cuff him and put him in the back of a truck. While the adults are giving statements, Fiona quietly sneaks over and opens the door, letting Karl escape into the desert, still in handcuffs. No one seems to notice.

Frustrated with how Mac handled the situation, Georgia decides to pack up and leave for Austin. Mac chases her, but she drives off. In the shed, the water heater begins groaning louder than ever. Mac angrily grabs a shovel and approaches it, but Cory stops him and offers to take care of it.

Cory attempts to relieve the pressure, wrapping his hand in his shirt to touch the overheated valve. At that moment, Fiona's toad-once thought dead-springs back to life. Just as she celebrates, the water heater explodes from the built-up pressure and launches through the roof, landing somewhere in the hills. Georgia hears the explosion and turns back, horrified. She, Mac, and Melanie rush to investigate and realize that Cory is missing. Melanie is heard screaming when she discovers that Cory is dead.

Three days later, the families drive together to Marfa. As they watch the strange lights on the hillside again, Mac tells Georgia about Cory's life insurance policy. He explains that it was only valid for 20 years and only in the case of accidental death-conditions that Cory narrowly met. As Mac gazes at the lights, he quietly wishes Cory a happy birthday.

Melanie, asleep in the car with her daughters resting on her shoulders, awakens. She touches her stomach and gently announces to them-though they are asleep-that she is going to have another baby. The film ends with the image of Melanie emerging out of a dark cave and into the light.