When an apartment building’s lights go out mysteriously, all of the tenants put aside their problems and band together to get to the bottom of the city-wide blackout. Deep in the basement of the high-rise, a hideous breed of monster hatches and begins to wreak havoc. Everyone must find a way to kill the blood-thirsty creatures and survive the darkness before it destroys the world.

The residents of Cradle Bay are living an idyllic small town existence. Or are they? After the suicide of his older brother, Steve Clark is uprooted by his parents and moved to the sunny enclave where the teenage success rate soars above the norm. No drunk driving accidents, no drug overdoses, no passionate suicides. In Cradle Bay, the teens are busy with wholesome activities like bake sales, community service and making the grade. But there's something unnatural about all that perfection. Resisting the lure of the "Blue Ribbons"--the town's picture perfect teens--Steve connects with outcasts Gavin and Rachel, who are equally suspicious of their peers' disturbing behavior. Dr. Caldicott, the school psychiatrist, has convinced the parents of Cradle Bay that a "Stepford-like" surgical procedure is the answer to their teenagers' nasty habits and rebellious behavior. And Steve's parents are just a meeting away from agreement.

Blade is loosely based on the published stories of the Marvel Comics character Blade. Snipes plays the character of Blade, a half-man, half-vampire superhero vampire hunter who becomes the protector of humans against the vampires.