In the arid expanses of the Arizona Territory, struggling rancher Dan Evans witnesses the notorious outlaw Ben Wade, and his vicious gang, ravage an armored stagecoach. Following the deadly heist, Wade is captured through a stroke of fate, and the desperate rancher volunteers to deliver the captured outlaw to the town of Contention from where he will be sent to the Yuma Prison on the 3:10 train. Evans, motivated by a $200 reward that would save his drought-stricken farm and yearning for the respect of his wife and sons, embarks on the perilous mission.

Tasked with the transport is a mismatched posse, including a determined, yet crippled Civil War veteran, a few lawmen, and a mercenary. With Wade's gang led by the psychopathic Charlie Prince on their trail, the group navigates the treacherous landscape while grappling with their own moral codes and sense of duty. Along the way, the interactions between Evans and Wade intensify, weaving a complex dynamic of psychological warfare and grudging mutual respect between captive and captor. The journey to Contention becomes a tense survival quest as they face not only Wade's relentless gang but also treachery from within their ranks and the threats posed by the unforgiving wilderness.