After the world nuclear war, the government injected everyone with a drug that paralyzed the emotional nerves, making people close their emotions and become zombies. John Preston (Christian Bale) is a senior official in the government's military department. He destroyed all artworks and crafts, and killed all those who resisted and did not abandon their feelings. His colleague Aiello Patjie (Sean Bean) was also spared because of possession of a banned book. In an action, John met Mary O'Brien (Emily Watson). She made John start to stop taking drugs and try to experience what it feels like to live with emotions. He was intoxicated by the wonderful and moving scenes that appeared in his life for the first time, and he was deeply guilty and guilty for the daily destruction of art. His abnormal behavior was seen by Brent (Taye Diggs), a new colleague who had been spying on his position, so he tried his best to test John's reality. Between work and morality, between danger and comfort, between emotion and loss, what choice will John make?