In 1950, a young doctor named Norton Perina joins an expedition led by anthropologist Paul Tallent to the remote Micronesian island of Ivu'ivu in search of a rumored lost tribe. They succeed, discovering not only that tribe but also a group of forest dwellers they call 'The Dreamers', who are fantastically long-lived but become progressively more senile.

Perina suspects the source of their longevity is a hard-to-find turtle. Unable to resist the possibility of eternal life, he kills one and smuggles some meat back to the States. He scientifically proves his thesis, earning worldwide fame and the Nobel Prize. However, he soon discovers that its miraculous property comes at a terrible price.

As things quickly spiral out of his control, his own demons take hold, with devastating personal consequences.