这是一个破碎的家庭，酗酒的教练父亲帕迪（尼克·诺特 Nick Nolte 饰）家暴妻子，次子汤米（汤姆·哈迪 Tom Hardy 饰）与不堪忍受的母亲远赴他乡；长子布兰登（乔尔·埃哲顿 Joel Edgerton 饰）为了爱情选择留下，并认为从此可以得到父亲的器重与栽培，然而最后父子还是分道扬镳。时隔多年后，汤米带着母亲痛苦死去的悲伤记忆，以及在伊战中的惨痛经历找到父亲，要求后者再度担任自己的教练，以参加MMA的重奖大赛；几乎与此同时，昔日的职业格斗选手、如今的中学物理教师布兰登为金钱所困扰，他不能忍受自己无法为妻女提供庇护，决定重返赛场。在MMA的赛场上，这对分离多年的兄弟将再度聚首，用血与汗的交融，化释彼此的心结……

在纽约警署，泰尔尼家族声名赫赫。老弗朗西斯·泰尔尼（强·沃特 Jon Voight 饰）创下无数丰功伟绩，在黑白两道皆有很高声望，他的儿子小弗朗西斯（诺亚·艾默里奇 Noah Emmerich 饰）、雷（爱德华·诺顿 Edward Norton 饰）以及女婿吉米·伊根（柯林·法瑞尔 Colin Farrell 饰）也同样在警察的岗位上兢兢业业。某晚，正在参加橄榄球比赛的吉米突然得到噩耗，他所负责的辖区发生枪战，数名警员中弹身亡。在父亲的鼓励下，雷加入特别行动小组，开始追捕相关疑犯。
在调查过程中，雷发现越来越多疑点，进而察觉吉米、小弗朗西斯甚至敬爱的父亲都可能牵涉其中。正义在这一刻染上污点，雷的调查之路也充满曲折和危险……

一个曾经的篮球明星在与酒瘾作斗争时失去了妻子与家庭，为了能够找回自我选择回到母校为一支高中篮球队做教练，同时也要继续防止自己再次被酒瘾控制。

Mary Jo Walker was married for the first time at age 17, and has since gone through three more husbands and numerous boyfriends. Everytime a relationship fails, the free-spirited Mary Jo takes to the road with her foul-mouthed, 12-year-old daughter, Ava, in search of a new home, new love and a new life. Leaving yet another abusive relationship behind her, Mary Jo finally heads for the picture-perfect suburbs of Starlight Beach, near San Diego. Mary Jo lands a position at job security company, and Ava enrolls in school where she makes friends easily. Ava hopes that she and her mother can actually live by themselves, without the destructive presence of another ill-chosen boyfriend. Mary Jo, however, soon hooks-up with a brawny truck driver, Jack Ranson, who they met on the road to California, When Mary Jo and Jack's ill-fated relationship begins to deteriorate, she is tempted to hit the road again--much to the chagrin of her daughter who, for once in her life, begins to feel rooted.