A pathologist, Dr. Warren Chapin (played by Vincent Price), discovers that the tingling of the spine in states of extreme fear is due to the growth of a tingler—a spinal parasite which can kill the host unless it is destroyed by screaming.

罗杰（加里·格兰特 Cary Grant 饰）是个平凡的广告商人，最近却莫名其妙的惹了一身的麻烦——他被别人错认成一名叫“凯普林”的人，还被人灌醉放进车中，意图造成车毁人亡，命大的罗杰却顺利逃过这一劫。这个离奇的经历让罗杰又后怕又好奇，为了证明自己的清白，他非要找出真正的 “凯普林”不可。　　噩运在纠缠罗杰。他一路设法摆脱追杀，一…