Theo Abrams is an ex-Cape Town fireman suffering from severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Unable to return to work due to the psychological trauma sustained during a failed rescue mission, an increasingly frustrated and volatile Theo's world is rocked when one morning, he wakes up next to his wife's murdered corpse with no recollection of what transpired and all evidence suggesting that he's killed her. When the police label him as the prime suspect, Theo goes on the run, and is soon being hunted by Deputy Chief of Police, Alan Shard, a notoriously ruthless soldier of the law, who is hell-bent on catching Theo as one last act of service before he officially retires. However, when an unknown third party is thrown into the mix, Theo discovers an alarming connection between the sinister forces hunting him in an attempt to silence him permanently for a reason he can't comprehend; and a recent investigation his wife was conducting into a global armament contractor. When connecting the dots becomes a matter of life and death, Theo becomes embroiled in a desperate fight for survival and must figure out who really murdered his wife before a terrifying conspiracy changes the course of a nation forever.

CIA（美国中央情报局）探员汤姆•毕晓普（布拉德•彼特饰）在远东某国执行任务失败，随即被当局逮捕，并将于24小时内被执以死刑。此时远在美国，汤姆的搭档，CIA探员内森 D.缪尔（劳勃·瑞福饰）正在为营救汤姆而游说CIA高层。因为涉及国际纠纷，CIA高层偏向牺牲汤姆而换取局势的和平，而内森则认为搭档的生命更加重要。内森与高层吵得不可开交，而在牢狱中的汤姆，回想过去，他与内森一同执行的一个个人物如走马灯般在眼前重现。一对亲密无间的搭档，一段CIA探员的心路历程。汤姆•毕晓普，一个平凡普通的CIA探员形象愈发清晰。他能得救吗？

虽饱经枪林弹雨洗礼，但是孤胆英雄约翰·麦克莱恩（布鲁斯·威利斯 Bruce Willis 饰）与儿子杰克（杰·科特尼 Jai Courtney 饰）之间依然如同普通父子一样，有着不可逾越的深深隔阂。失去联络许多年，好不容易得到儿子消息的约翰，却发现杰克因多项罪名的指控在莫斯科沦为阶下囚，面临死刑威胁。他未作迟疑，启程前往遥远的俄罗斯。开庭当天，一伙身份不明之人连环爆炸袭击法庭，其目标直指同样遭到指控的俄罗斯富翁尤里·科马罗夫（塞巴斯蒂安·科赫 Sebastian Koch 饰）。混乱之中，杰克护送尤里逃脱，其囚徒背后的秘密身份正逐渐浮出水面。　　异国他乡，孤立无援，麦克莱恩父子只有依靠彼此逃出生天……