A couple and adolescent adult son and two adolescent daughters live in a fenced compound. The children have no knowledge of the outside world; their parents say they will be ready to leave once they lose a Dogtooth (anatomy), and that one can only leave safely by car. The children entertain themselves with endurance games, such as keeping a finger in hot water. They believe they have a brother on the other side of the fence to whom they throw supplies or stones. The parents reward good behaviour with stickers and bad behaviour with violence.