A skilled thief, who specializes in the clandestine art of extracting valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during dream states, is given a chance to clear his criminal record. The catch: instead of extraction, he and his team must accomplish "inception" – planting an idea in the mind of a CEO's son to dismantle his father's empire. The task is seemingly impossible, as inception is considered a myth, and the target's mind is fortified with defenses that are trained to prevent such intrusions. Complicating the mission further, the thief is haunted by the memory of his deceased wife, which manifests with unpredictable and dangerous consequences within the multi-layered architecture of the dream worlds they navigate.

As they embark on the complex operation, the team constructs a series of dreams within dreams to deceive the target and slip past his mental defenses. The deeper they go, the greater the risk of getting lost in the labyrinth of their elaborate construct, where the boundaries between reality and the dream blur. The mission is fraught with unexpected challenges that not only jeopardize its success but also the very fabric of their reality. Time within the dream layers runs at different speeds, and the team must synchronize their movements across each layer while battling their personal demons and the ever-present threat of detection by the target's subconscious guardians.