A young Pennsylvania man moves to Los Angeles to begin work for an ambulance service. There he is teamed with a supremely confident vet who seemingly has gone through a large number of partners. Initially the novice is awed by the more experienced man's capabilities to deal with the high pressure situations they encounter. However, gradually he discovers that all is not as it seems. While the vet is ice on the surface, he actually gets through the ordeals by heavy drug use and avoids commitments. Soon the younger man finds himself pulled into the same world and has to decide what direction he wants to take.

When William Conroy (Rob Lowe), a former college professor, is sentenced to life in prison for vehicular manslaughter it seems his life is over. But when a fellow inmate tells him that in the past two years fourteen inmates have died at the prison, and then turns up dead the next day, Conroy realizes he is in more danger than he ever imagined. Conroy's suspicions are confirmed when the van carrying the inmates crashes. Seizing the opportunity, Conroy flees the scene and elicits the help of his lawyer. What the two discover is a grisly murder ring set up within the prison walls that incriminates those at the highest levels of the correctional system.

Shane Tanner, the son of a legendary cooler named Dalton, learns that his uncle Nate got beat up by a group of men because he doesn't want to sell his bar, The Black Pelican, to a bunch of drug dealers. To help out his uncle, Shane teams up with local school teacher Beau Hampton, who is a regular at the Black Pelican, and takes down the baddies.

Lew is a small time loser with a troubled past and a very big secret. Overhearing a couple plan a kidnapping, Lew is tempted to come up with a scheme of his own. He decides to get to the victim first and then blackmail the real criminals. His plan soon spins out of control.

Meet Cassie, Jason and Patrick, three amoral college students who, through a series of sexual wagers, take malicious pleasure in ruining the lives of their fellow classmates.