In the year 2154, Earth has become a polluted, overpopulated slum where the poor and the sick struggle to survive. The wealthy elite dwell on Elysium, a pristine man-made space station equipped with advanced medical technology that can heal any ailment, where they lead lives of luxury and are governed by Secretary Delacourt. Max Da Costa, an orphan from the slums, works in a factory on Earth and dreams of a better life on Elysium. After an accident at work exposes him to a lethal dose of radiation, Max is given only days to live. In desperation, he turns to a notorious criminal named Spider for help.

Spider offers Max a way to get to Elysium, but in return, Max must undertake a dangerous mission that involves stealing important data from the brain of a high-ranking corporate official, John Carlyle. The heist, however, goes awry, making Max a target not only for Elysium's security forces but also for Delacourt, who will stop at nothing to protect the interests of her utopian society. Max is equipped with a powerful exoskeleton that enhances his strength and connects directly to his brain, setting him on a violent collision course with Delacourt's vicious agent Kruger, whose mandate is to prevent any breach of Elysium's idyllic existence, no matter the cost.