Trevor Reznik, a machinist, has been awake for a year due to extreme insomnia, leading to his physical deterioration. He keeps track of his weight on yellow stickies and is obsessed with a waitress, Maria. Trevor's coworkers are suspicious of him due to his appearance and an incident at work further isolates him. He becomes convinced that someone, possibly a coworker, is out to get him, using a phantom employee named Ivan as a front. Trevor searches for evidence, which may lead him to understand the cause of his insomnia.

The Machinist
As he succumbs to the relentless exhaustion, a man's grip on reality begins to slip, plunging him into a desperate fight to preserve his sanity.