In New Orleans, Jake Tilton works in transportation business as assistant of the supervisor Gillespie with his friends Anthony "Tony" Cobb and Catfish.
When the manager Kevin, who got married to Jake's former girlfriend Olivia Corbin, fires Gillespie, Jake and Cobb meet him drinking in a bar and Gillespie gives a magical monkey's paw to Jake telling that it grants three wishes to the owner.
Jake does not believe in his words but he wishes a nice car that is parked at the bar. Soon he and Cobb discover the keys inside the car and Jake drives the car. However he has a car accident and Cobb dies.
Then he wishes that Cobb resurrects and his friend becomes a soulless undead. Cobb wishes that Jake uses his last wish to make his son to love him, but Jake has thrown the paw away.
Cobb decides to kill everyone connected to Jake to force him to use the monkey's paw to grant his wish.