In a dystopian future, the economy has collapsed, and crime rates have soared. The movie follows Carl "Luke" Lucas, a skilled getaway driver for a notorious criminal named Markus Kane. During a failed bank heist, Carl is captured and sentenced to serve time in Terminal Island, a maximum-security prison. The prison is controlled by the Weyland Corporation, which has turned inmate combat into a lucrative form of entertainment called the “Death Match” fights. As public interest wanes, Weyland's ruthless executive, September Jones, devises a new event: "Death Race," a brutal, deadly car race within the prison grounds. Carl, to ensure his survival and gain a chance at freedom, reluctantly enters the Death Race.

Facing violent and formidable opponents, Carl must navigate the lethal racetrack while being constantly tailed by armed guards and fellow inmates eager to kill. The stakes are life and death, with each race becoming more treacherous than the last. Meanwhile, Markus Kane, fearing Carl might betray him, orchestrates events from the outside to ensure Carl's demise. Carl becomes a pawn in a much larger game of corporate greed, gang loyalty, and survival. As alliances shift and betrayals unfold, Carl must rely on his driving prowess and strategic thinking to outmaneuver his enemies and stay alive in the brutal sport.