John, Neena, Jemma, Nick, and Marie are facing their final year of high school with the threat of the future looming inevitably around the corner. The persistence of their individual challenges and the overarching struggle to make it through the final leg of adolescence comes to full force during an impromptu trip to the Atlantic City coast line.

Over the course of a single night, each of the friends must come face to face with their fears while also confronting their desires. What seems like a night that will be full of revelry and youthful carelessness becomes a night of regret and uncertainty. The group returns home, hoping to leave behind the memories of the night that only reflect their own flaws and insecurities. However, the situation is further complicated when a mutual enemy is found dead and one of their own is blamed as the murderer.

In light of the events, everyone must learn to fight back against the pressures that their surroundings have placed upon them, and become more than the persons that they have defined themselves to be. With a varied look on the final days of high school, In the Case of Understanding provides a glimpse into the minds of those who are traversing the long road to adulthood.