Caleb Castle (Jack Kilmer) is a horror-obsessed special effects makeup artist struggling to prove himself in an industry that barely notices him. He works under his uncle Jefferson (Eric Roberts), the owner of a once-promising indie horror studio now on the verge of collapse. With the studio facing closure, Jefferson is determined to make one final film—and gives Caleb his little break to work on a low budget vampire movie where he meets Ginny Brown (Paris Jackson), a talented fellow makeup artist and Todd Bracken (Lambert Houston), an arrogant, unsupportive rival . Insecure about his craft and desperate to prove himself, Caleb ultimately transforms when he witnesses a real life murder which inspires him to use extreme, horrific measures to make his special effects look chillingly realistic. As he becomes more ambitious, his lines between reality and imagination blur, leading to a series of heinous crimes.