Atlanta businessmen Ed (Jon Voight), Lewis (Burt Reynolds), Bobby (Ned Beatty), and Drew (Ronny Cox) take a weekend canoeing trip through the remote Appalachian wilderness, before the area is flooded for a new dam. Their inexperience and pride make them easy targets for hostile, inbred hillbillies, and the men all react differently to their situation as it becomes more perilous. Directed by John Boorman, the film serves as an allegory for America's experiences in Vietman.