Eight years after the events of the first film, Norman Nordstrom lives in relative solitude with his 11-year-old daughter Phoenix and his Rottweiler, Shadow, in the suburbs of Detroit. Norman tells Phoenix that they used to have another house, which burned down in a fire, and that her birth mother died in that fire.
Norman gets a supply drop from his friend, former Army Ranger Hernandez. Hernandez, Norman’s only connection with society, convinces a reluctant Norman to let Phoenix accompany her on errands in town, so that she can have some time out of the house. While running errands together, Hernandez stops at a gas station to refuel. Phoenix goes to use the bathroom and a man named Raylan tries to talk to her before she leaves with Hernandez. Raylan and his men secretly follow Hernandez back to Norman’s. They wait for Hernandez to drop Phoenix off before ambushing and killing Hernandez.
The men kill Shadow and Norman goes outside to look for him. Raylan’s men enter the house to kidnap Phoenix. Norman finds Shadow’s body and realizes that he’s been shot before running back to the house to defend returns to the house to protect Phoenix. A struggle ensues between Norman and the gang members.