In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, six-year-old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) exists on the brink of orphan-hood. When her tough but loving father Wink (Dwight Henry) succumbs to a mysterious malady, the fierce and determined girl bravely sets out on a journey to the outside world. But Hushpuppy's quest is hindered by a "busted" universe that melts the ice caps and unleashes an army of prehistoric beasts.