Burned-out Hollywood screenwriter Bo Aikens (Jay Mohr) is fed up with life in Los Angeles. He heads out of the hustle and bustle of the big city and arrives in picturesque Black River in Northern California, seeking relaxation and artistic inspiration. In small, idyllic Black River, nearly everyone is happy, contented, and welcoming of strangers. But despite the beautiful setting, Bo begins to feel unsettled after several disturbing incidents. He discovers that all of his money has been transferred to a bank account in Black River, and a house has been purchased for him by someone on "his" instructions.

Susannah and Jesse Stanton divorced two years prior with three children. When Susannah starts dating a lawyer, the children decide to find someone for their father, sending a letter to a popular magazine called Alaskan Love. He receives a large number of responses, but the children later feel that his perfect match is Susannah, and they try to arrange a plan to bring them together.

Rachel is a 9-year-old girl who is perfection itself - unless she's crossed or challenged. Several disturbing recent incidents have led Rachel's mother Christine to suspect that her child is a latent murderess. Upon discovering that she herself is the daughter of a convicted killer, Christine becomes convinced that sweet little Rachel is a "bad seed" - an inherent killer who feels no remorse because she doesn't know any better.