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A convicted arsonist looks to manipulate a parole officer into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife in the lawman's path.

Parole officer Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro) has only a few weeks left before retirement and wishes to finish out the cases he's been assigned. One such case is that of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Edward Norton), a convicted arsonist who is up for parole. Jack is initially reluctant to indulge Stone in the coarse banter he wishes to pursue and feels little sympathy for the prisoner's pleas for an early release. Seeing little hope in convincing Jack by himself, Stone arranges for his wife, Lucetta (Milla Jovovich), to seduce the officer, but motives and intentions steadily blur amidst the passions and buried secrets of the corrupted players in this deadly game of deception.—The Massie Twins

A convicted arsonist schemes to get out of prison by convincing his debauched wife to seduce his retirement-ready parole officer in director John J. Curran's adaptation of a play by Angus MacLachlan (who also authored the screenplay). His career as a parole officer winding down after years of service, Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro) reluctantly accepts an assignment to reassess inmate Gerald "Stone" Creeson's (Edward Norton) case for an upcoming parole hearing. Convicted of setting a fire to make the murder of his grandparents look like an accidental death, Stone will do anything to get out from behind bars, and his wife, Lucetta (Milla Jovovich), is willing to do whatever it takes to help secure her husband's freedom -- including seducing Jack. Meanwhile, Jack's devoted wife, Madylyn (Frances Conroy), has suffered with the emotional weight of her husband's demanding job for far too long.

Young mother Madylyn Mabry puts her daughter to bed while her husband Jack watches golf on television. After the child is asleep, Madylyn goes downstairs and announces she's leaving Jack as he keeps her soul in a dungeon and treats her like a slave. Jack runs upstairs to the bedroom and holds their daughter Candace out the window, threatening to drop her if Madylyn leaves. Madylyn acquiesces.

Years on, Jack Mabry (Robert DeNiro) a deep catholic and Madylyn (Frances Conroy) are asleep when a call wakes them. Jack picks up the phone and hears a woman's voice informing him that his brother passed away after a long illness. Next day he is speaking at his brother Bobby's funeral.

Jack reports to work at a prison, where he is a parole officer. Jack's job is to interview the inmates, whose cases he is handling, and prepare their files for review by the parole board. As parole officer, Jack's recommendation carries a high importance in the review board's decision.

Jack is called into the warden's (Peter Gray Lewis) office. His upcoming retirement is brought up. Jack is asked to hand off his cases to his replacement Janice (Sarab Kamoo). He asks to keep his currents to see them till their next review. Jack's new case is Gerald Creeson (Ed Norton). He likes to be called Stone & wants Jack to help him get out early. Stone claims his wife, Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) is a sexually fanatic and sometimes he feels that she is from another world. Stone says that he and Lucetta have been married 9 years, and he has spent 8 of them behind bars.

Stone begins to ask questions about Jack's relationship with his wife. Jack explains that he does not want to discuss his wife and that they are there to talk about his case. Stone says that he is ready to restart his life, and he completed his GEDs in prison and was the top worker in prison for the last 2 years. He also has a job lined up for himself with the help of his wife. Stone later phones his wife, Lucetta, from prison. Lucetta works at a preschool working with kids. He tells her "I need you to do this for me right now. Don't let it slide."

Jack asks him to recount the arson incident. Stone tells him that "Teach", and his grandfather got into a fight which ended with Stone's grandparents dead, before Stone torched the house. Stone got accessory and arson & has done 8 years out of his 10 to 15 years prison sentence. Jacks asks Stone if he killed his grandparents & Stone says no. Stone asks Jack if he has done anything bad in his life. Stone and Jack hold several more meetings. Stone insists he deserves to be free. He also begins reading literature about spiritual awakenings.

One night, Lucetta leaves a message on Jack and Madylyn's answering machine. She shows up at the prison the next day to meet Jack, who rebuffs her. Stone tells her that leaving messages for Jack won't work & she has to meet him. Lucetta meets Jack outside prison & tries to befriend him. Stone pretends that she is doing her own thing & then claims to be interested in religion & reincarnation.

In church Jack says to Pastor that he thinks about killing himself for the thoughts he has. Lucetta calls Jack's house again & pretends to Madylyn that she is an old friend to try & fix up a lunch meeting & pretends to be a sex freak. Jack and Lucetta meet for lunch. They end up at Lucetta's home. After a few drinks, he sleeps with Lucetta. At prison, two guards arrive to escort Stone to the infirmary. While waiting for someone to see him, he witnesses another inmate being brutally murdered.

Back at home, it's clear that there is brewing tension between Jack & Madylyn. Jack has sex with Lucetta often & tells her not to talk about it to anyone.

Lucetta tells Stone that Jack is going to review Stone's case at parole, but Stone seems distant & more existential like his religious experience is really getting through to him. When Jack talks to Stone he seems not to care about getting out anymore.

Jack tells Lucetta who tries to convince Jack that they are in just some sort of play acting. She wants to keep having sex with Jack. Jack redoes Stone's paperwork to ensure Stone is released early, but Stone acts as if he is deeply religious & his life has found new meaning in prison. He also admits that he knew fully well what Teach had done to his parents & he knowingly assisted him in setting the house on fire to destroy the evidence.

Meanwhile Jack's wife keeps attending to Lucetta's phone calls to Jack & spends nights alone while Jack has sex with Lucetta & says nothing. Jack has already changed Stone's file & realizes that he has made a mistake as he is concerned with Stone's craziness. So, he tries to change it back, but it's too late. The hearing happens.

Stone is released from prison & tells Jack that he knows he was having sex with Lucetta. Jack gets home & at night finds a fire in the house. He barely saves himself & Madylyn & blames Stone for the fire. Madylyn won't accept it & keeps repeating that it was an act of God & the fire started due to faulty wiring in basement. It's almost as if she started the fire to get rid of the house & its bad memories for her.

Later, Madylyn, Madylyn and Jack's daughter Candace, and their granddaughter look through photo albums. Candace tells her mother she's surprised she didn't leave her father sooner.

Jack is hurt & angry & corners Stone in a dark alley & threatens to shoot him, just as he threatened Madylyn all those years ago. Stone says that he knows Jack won't shoot him & Jack doesn't. Jack is now retired, trying to determine his future.