Terence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage) is a homicide police detective in New Orleans. During Hurricane Katrina, he saves a prisoner from drowning and is therefore promoted to lieutenant. But because he severely hurt his back during the rescue, he has to take strong pain-killers. A year later, he tries to catch a drug dealer that murdered a family of African immigrants. The investigation takes him into the criminal underground of New Orleans, while he fights his addiction to sex, medication and cocaine.