Sam Wheat and Molly Jensen are deeply in love, sharing their hopes, dreams, and a new loft apartment in New York City. Sam works as an investment banker, while Molly pursues her art. One evening after a dinner theater date, Sam is approached in a dark alley by a mugger who demands his wallet. A struggle follows, and Sam is shot—killed. But death isn’t the end of his story. As he lies dying, he sees a light beckoning him, yet he feels compelled to remain connected to Molly and the life he shared.

Now a ghost, Sam discovers that he cannot communicate with Molly, who is devastated and alone. He wanders unseen through the city, desperate to warn her that she is in danger and that Sam’s death was not a random assault. Molly’s life and safety become the focus of his afterlife. Sam’s only hope to protect her lies in reaching out to a reluctant psychic, Oda Mae Brown, who has no idea at first that she can really hear spirits.

Oda Mae Brown starts out as a fraud, making her living pretending to communicate with the dead, but everything changes when Sam begins speaking to her. He persuades her to help him warn Molly, first by revealing details only Sam would know, then by trying to stop a larger evil plot. Behind Sam’s murder was a scheme involving money laundering and betrayal—Sam’s friend and colleague Carl Bruner was implicated in shady banking operations and in arranging the attack that led to Sam’s death.

As Sam guides Oda Mae, he learns more about his new, ghostly capabilities. He discovers that he can influence the physical world in limited ways—moving objects, creating warning signs, even scaring the mugger away at one point to prevent further danger. But his powers are constrained. Molly cannot see him, understand his presence, or know that he is working behind the scenes to protect her. Growing frustration and longing weigh heavily on him.

At a crucial moment, Molly learns of Carl’s betrayal. She realizes that the person she thought was a friend is responsible for much of the danger she is in. Oda Mae, with help from Sam (though unseen), confronts Carl, foiling his further plans. In an emotional climax, there is a powerful scene in Molly and Sam’s apartment. Sam manifests something only Molly can believe—an antique penny, once their symbol of luck, floating under the door—which finally convinces her that Sam is somehow still present.

In the ending, after Molly accepts Sam’s presence and danger has been averted, Sam feels his work is done. He and Molly share a final moment, a spiritual reunion of sorts, before Sam moves on into the light. Molly is left with both grief and comfort—grieving Sam’s loss, but also grateful for the love that transcended death. The film closes on a note of hope that love, truth, and connection can survive even beyond the boundary of life and death.