Moses Mayborne has a steady job in TV news, despite a horrible accident years prior that took the life of a co-worker. Just as his wife, a reporter named Sheila, has given birth to their first child, his boss gives him an opportunity to become a photojournalist. Moses accepts, for his baby son's future, and to help erase the brutal memory of his past misjudgment.

As Moses scours the city for news, he notices a change in the city's residents; they've become colder, and more prone to violence. He witnesses cannibalism, suicide, and lack of empathy for a dying woman. He sees wild dogs roaming the streets with fangs bared and evil in their eyes. When he pays a visit to a friend who is debilitated by self-mutilation, he begins to understand the connection between the growing mania and the TV station where he works. He fears for himself, his family, and the world.

Guided by the ghosts of his past, Moses dodges the deadly rampages of a savage city in a desperate search for his loved ones. When he finds them, he comes face to face with the evil, and the reality: We are what we see.