Summary
Highlights
On New Year's Eve in Baltimore, a sniper attacks multiple buildings, killing 25 people, 17 of whom are confirmed dead. Rookie officer Eleanor is dispatched to the scene, where a teenager has been shot. The police trace the bullets to a 17th-floor apartment, which then explodes, causing chaos. Eleanor observes the escaping crowd, suspecting the shooter might be among them. Inside the exploded apartment, they find no bodies. Eleanor briefly loses consciousness due to smoke but is revived by Detective Mac. FBI investigator Geoffrey Lammark arrives and learns the apartment belongs to a Norwegian man in Oslo, leased as debt repayment.
At the police station, Lammark briefs his team on the investigation. He clashes with Deputy Governor Capleton over shutting down highways, as Capleton prioritizes the governor's image over panic. Lammark notices Eleanor's insightful comments about the killer's psychology and invites her to join his FBI team, believing her 'messed-up mind' is an asset. Joined by Detective Mac, the trio visits the morgue, confirming the killer's military training and lack of victim pattern.
The team receives a tip about a teenage suspect living above the exploded apartment. The teen, with a history of ADHD, bullying, and obsession with violent content, is cornered by SWAT and jumps to his death. No weapon is found, proving it a false lead. Lammark questions painters who had access to the apartment, dismissing them after they provide alibis. Later, the killer strikes again at a mall, resulting in numerous casualties. Eleanor and Lammark review CCTV, identifying the killer as thin, white, and over six feet tall, with his face obscured. Eleanor deduces he came to the mall for food and to clean up, noting his vegetarian diet. The killer's dumped clothes are lost to a garbage truck.
Mac and Eleanor search a landfill for the killer's clothes. Lammark faces pressure from his superiors and Capleton. News broadcasts the mall footage, seeking leads. Eleanor discovers one of the painters, Rodney, worked multiple jobs. Lab results from the killer's shirt show brittle hair, suggesting severe head trauma. A news caller, claiming to be part of an 'Invisible Army,' brags about the killer and threatens the anchor. The FBI tracks the caller, identifying him as a government-hating gun advocate. Despite Lammark and Eleanor's skepticism about the 'loner' killer belonging to a group, they follow orders to apprehend him. The caller and his friends are confronted at a store, leading to a shootout where most of them are killed. The sole survivor admits it was a prank, and the 'Invisible Army' doesn't exist.
Lammark is accused of incompetence and poor decisions, being blamed for the incident despite his arguments. Eleanor's past addiction and rejection from the FBI are brought up. Both are stripped of their roles. Devastated, Eleanor confronts Rodney about outsourcing his painting jobs, suspecting someone hired might be the killer. Rodney confesses to hiring various marginalized individuals, including a vegan named Dean, who matches the killer's description and build. Rodney helps a sketch artist create a portrait of Dean.
The officers visit slaughterhouses, where an old woman identifies the sketch as Dean Possey, an introverted but hardworking man often bullied by a supervisor, Alonso. Alonso died in a mysterious meat grinder accident, for which Dean was jailed. Eleanor learns Dean's father was an army shooting instructor, and Dean suffered a severe head injury as a child, which changed him. He was rejected from the army for not being violent enough. Dean is a 'ghost' with no identifiable records. Eleanor and Lammark go to Dean's mother's home, with Lammark preventing backup to avoid a media circus. Mrs. Possey is aware of Dean's actions but initially refuses to cooperate, fearing for his life. She eventually lets them in, recounting Dean's tragic past. Eleanor spots Dean's presence nearby.
Dean shoots and kills Lammark from a shed. Mrs. Possey, reminding Eleanor of her promise to keep Dean alive, disarms Eleanor and gives her the phone and gun to persuade Dean to surrender. Mrs. Possey begs Dean to stop and surrender, promising Eleanor can help him with his medical history. When Dean doesn't respond, Mrs. Possey tragically takes her own life. A remorseful Dean enters the house, expressing his hatred for modern society. Eleanor connects with his feelings. Dean trusts her, asking her to shoot him after he sleeps and burn his body. A police car arrives, making Dean believe Eleanor tricked him. He attacks her, ties her up in the basement, and then shoots two arriving officers. More police surround the house. Eleanor begs Dean to stop and untie her. A bomb explodes. Eleanor bites Dean's neck, wounding him. Dean spares her and goes outside. Eleanor frees herself and tells Mac that Dean is wounded but alive. Dean flees into the fields, collapses, and is killed by a hail of bullets after raising his weapon one last time. Eleanor meets her superiors and Capleton, who offer her an FBI intelligence analyst position in exchange for her silence to protect the governor and FBI's image. Eleanor refuses, demanding Lammark receive the Medal of Valor and his pension go to his spouse, and requesting a special agent position. Her terms are accepted. The movie ends with Eleanor returning home, haunted by Lammark's death.