Richard Haywood (Ryan Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt) are two college students who attempt to commit the perfect murder. The young duo believes that they have achieved the mindset of a flawless killer, combining Justin's intelligence with Richard's suitability. Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock), an FBI agent who specializes in serial killings and difficult cases, is assigned to this file with her new partner Sam Kennedy (Ben Chaplin). Our detectives carefully follow the clues left behind by these two brilliant criminals in order to apprehend them.