根据马修·蒂格为《时尚先生》杂志撰写的获得国家杂志大奖的文章改编，布拉德·英格尔斯比操刀该剧本。故事讲述在得知伴侣妮可(约翰逊饰)只有六个月的生命后，马修(阿弗莱克饰)意外地得到了他们最好朋友(席格尔饰)的支持。他搬到了他们家，暂时搁置了自己的生活。

…

　　柯蒂斯（迈克尔·珊农 Michael Shannon 饰）是个建筑工人，非常辛苦地工作养家，幸而和妻子萨曼莎（杰西卡·查斯坦 Jessica Chastain 饰）感情和睦，还有个六岁的听障女儿汉娜。有一天，柯蒂斯被一个非常真实的噩梦惊醒，梦里面有恐怖的龙卷风到来，下起柏油一样的雨，整个镇子被夷为平地。从此类似的噩梦经常出现，柯蒂斯渐渐开始相信，认为这是末世启示，梦里发生的一切都被他带到现实，他开始变得暴躁、沉默，还在家里建风暴掩体，甚至丢了工作。萨曼莎不理解丈夫的一系列变化，认为他生病了，应该看心理医生，还为他花许多钱建毫无用处的东西、买昂贵又毫无用处的防毒面具、丢了工作没了医疗保险大为光火。柯蒂斯的“症状”越来越严重，也越来越为人所不容，他的境遇，取决于他预见的风暴到底会不会到来……

　　BACK FORK is the story of an everyman, WAYLON, struggling to hold his life and family together after a heartbreaking tragedy. He and his wife, NIDA, barely recognize themselves, let alone each other. Their inability to continue on and to heal, leaves them hopeless. With the growing burden of the unanswered questions of why, and a heavy dose of self-blame, It's only a matter of time before Waylon turns to the magic of the pills to make the problems disappear. He finds a kindred spirit in his sister, RAYLENE, as he sleep walks through life with addiction. It's only a matter of time until Waylon finds himself at a crossroads. He learns that he's been asking the wrong question all along. The question isn't why, rather, where do I go from here? He's then able to see that we're all wounded animals. Sometimes we die, but sometimes we live.