College professor Jack Gladney, his fourth wife, and his four ultra-modern kids live a comfortable suburban life.
When a nearby chemical leak unleashes an “airborne toxic event,” a lethal black chemical cloud floats over their lives and causes the Gladney family to evacuate their home.
The cloud provides a more urgent, visible version of the 'white noise' engulfing their lives – but does something even more ominous lie on the horizon for them all?