Lawyer Sam Bowden, who fourteen years ago defended psychopath Max Cady, accused of rape, withheld evidence from the court that could have saved Max, and he was convicted. But his prison term has expired, and Max is released, driven only by a manic desire - to take revenge on the lawyer and his family, turning their lives into real hell. According to the testimony of Sam Bowden, rapist Max Cady was sent to jail. Fourteen years have passed: Sam has a happy family, and Max has many years in prison and a shattered psyche. Upon release, Cady decides to take revenge on Bowden and begins by destroying the well-being of his family.