本片讲述了一个与世隔绝的奇怪家庭。家庭成员由一对父母和大儿子、两个女儿组成,一家五口终日生活在一座隐秘的大宅子里。三个孩子自小被父亲隔离于此,他们不能接触除父母外的人,对高墙之外的世界几乎一无所知。父亲上班后,他们就与母亲在屋子里学习、玩耍。他们所有的知识都由父母教导,父亲告诉他们,外面的世界极其危险,而孩子们如果想要出去,必须等到“狗牙”脱落。 父亲是唯一可以驾车到外面去的人,他有一份正常的工作,会为孩子们带回生活必需品以及奖赏,他有时也会带回公司里一个女员工——克里斯蒂安,她是受雇来满足大儿子的性需求的。而她的几次到来,正在悄悄地改变这个家庭……Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet. The trio spend their days listening to endless homemade tapes that teach them a whole new vocabulary. Any word that comes from beyond their family abode is instantly assigned a new meaning. Hence 'the sea' refers to a large armchair and 'zombies' are little yellow flowers. Having invented a brother whom they claim to have ostracized for his disobedience, the über-controlling parents terrorize their offspring into submission. The father is the only family member who can leave the manicured lawns of their self-inflicted exile, earning their keep by managing a nearby factory, while the only outsider allowed on the premises is his colleague Christina, who is paid to relieve the son of his male urges. Tired of these dutiful acts of carnality, Christina disturbs the domestic balance.