There Will Be Blood follows Daniel Plainview, a ruthless silver prospector turned oilman in the early 20th century American West. After discovering oil by chance, Daniel adopts a young orphan, H.W., and presents himself as a family man to win the trust of local landowners. When a young man tips him off about oil-rich land in Little Boston, California, Daniel moves in, buying drilling rights and promising schools, roads, and prosperity. His operations soon bring conflict with Eli Sunday, a local preacher who sees Daniel’s arrival as both a threat and an opportunity for power within his church.

​

​

As Daniel’s empire grows, his moral corruption deepens. A catastrophic accident at the oil rig leaves H.W. deaf, straining their relationship and exposing the hollowness of Daniel’s “fatherly” image. Daniel’s obsession with wealth and dominance leads him to betray partners, humiliate rivals, and sever the last traces of genuine human connection. Years later, isolated and consumed by paranoia and hatred, Daniel’s long-running rivalry with Eli ends in a violent confrontation that lays bare the film’s bleak vision of greed, faith, and the American dream turned monstrous.