Lakeview Terrace
In California, Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) rises from his bed. A news report can be heard giving info about a huge fire burning nearby. Abel lifts up a picture of himself and his deceased wife that is face down on the night table, then leaves the room.
Outside, Abel's son, Marcus (Jaishon Fisher), and daughter, Celia (Regine Nehy), head off to school. They notice the coming of new neighbors Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Lisa (Kerry Washington), along with Lisa's father (Ron Glass). Abel spies on the new next-door neighbors, and while doing so, sees Chris, who is white, kissing Lisa, who is black. Abel is revolted. Later that night, Chris and Lisa awaken to Abel's house security light shining brightly into their bedroom.
The next day, Abel, who is a police officer, and his partner Javier (Jay Hernandez) question informant Clarence Darlington (Keith Loneker). Clarence gives the officers info, and he and Abel have a tiff regarding Clarence's supposed ancestry. Clarence tells Abel that he's messed up in the head.
Chris pulls his car in front of his new house that night, jamming to rap music. While he relaxes, Abel knocks on his car window. Chris rolls down his window and Abel puts a gun to his head, forcing him to give up his wallet. Abel tells Chris to never roll his window down in such an instance again, handing him back his wallet. The men converse awhile, and Abel tells Chris that no matter how much he listens to rap, in the end, he'll still be white.
Chris goes to the backyard and finds Lisa in the swimming pool. He strips and joins her, then the two make out. Next door, Abel and his children see this spectacle through an upstairs window. Later, Chris and Lisa lie inside the house together, and Chris discovers that their air conditioning isn't working. The couple investigate in the yard, and find out that a cord in the unit has been cut.
The next day, Chris confronts Abel about his security light and Abel rebuffs him, mentioning the arroyo in their backyards where kids stalk as a reason to keep the light on.
Chris buys a security light for his house and positions it so that it will shine at nights directly into Abel's bedroom. The out-of-control fire nears the Mattsons' area, and its smoke is visible from their balcony. The Mattsons get acclimated to their surroundings, and they experience more confrontations with Abel and mysterious vandalism of their property - as well as outright disrespect from Abel and his police officer buddies. Abel works on slowly pushing Chris and Lisa apart.
Lisa breaks the surprise news to Chris that she's pregnant. He asks her about her birth control pills and she says that she missed a few days. Chris is very unnerved by this seemingly deliberate inaction on Lisa's part, and they have an argument.
After Abel is told to take time off from his job due to a suit against the department brought by a man he brutalized, he becomes more and more disjointed. At one point, he attacks the Mattsons' property and invites Chris to a physical fight.
There are now multiple wildfires advancing closer to Abel and the Mattsons' area. Abel coerces Clarence to break into Chris and Lisa's house while they're away at a nearby party, and vandalize their belongings. Lisa returns home, catching Clarence off-guard. She turns on the alarm, prompting Chris (and Abel, who's trying to keep from getting discovered) to run to the house. Clarence picks Lisa up and throws her to the floor, causing her to be knocked unconscious. In the yard, Abel shoots Clarence dead. Abel searches for Clarence's cell phone which was used to call him, but cannot find it.
Chris and Lisa talk in the hospital where she is treated for her rough treatment by Clarence during their scuffle. Abel stares from his house at the police investigation going on at the Mattsons' residence. At this point, the raging fires are so close that people in the area are being asked to evacuate it. When the police leave, Abel goes into the Mattsons' house and calls Clarence's phone, hoping to find it. He's halted by the Mattsons' arrival and exits. Chris finds Clarence's phone and calls a number on it. Abel answers his ringing phone. Realizing he's caught, Abel pulls out his gun and goes into the Mattsons' house. Chris surprises Abel and beats him down. Lisa drives off to tell the police, but Abel gets up and shoots her car, causing her to have a crash. Chris tackles Abel and pounds on him some more, taking his gun away from him.
Chris, carrying Abel's gun, gets to the car as Abel fires at it with a second gun. Chris points his gun at Abel, who approaches him and Lisa, who is still inside of the car. The police drive up behind Chris. Abel puts his handgun under his belt and behind his back. The police, Lisa and Abel all tell Chris to put down the gun. In desperation, Chris mentions how Abel told him that his dead wife probably cheated on him with a white man. Abel snaps, shooting Chris in the shoulder and the police shoot Abel dead. In an ambulance, Lisa comforts Chris, who says that they're going to have a family.
