Laurel has moved to the beautiful but isolated wilderness of Desolation Sound with her daughter and frequently absent husband, Michael. The seeming calm of this rural existence is shaken by the unexpected arrival of Laurel's lifelong friend Elizabeth. Once Elizabeth has Laurel to herself, she drunkenly exposes Michael's duplicity. An argument and tussle ensues, ending with horrific abruptness when Elizabeth falls to her death. When guilt and obsession takes their toll, Laurel slowly begins to absorb the persona of her dead friend.