In 1979, amid the Iranian revolution, militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. Amid the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it's only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, the U.S. government calls in Tony Mendez, a skilled CIA exfiltration specialist, to devise a plan to rescue them. Mendez comes up with a risky and unorthodox plan to create a cover story that the six are Canadian filmmakers scouting locations for a science fiction movie.

Mendez enters Iran under the guise of the film's producer, with the help of Hollywood connections: makeup artist John Chambers and producer Lester Siegel. Together, they set up the façade of a film production. Backed by the CIA, they establish the six escapees as a Canadian film crew. With time running out, they need to convince the Iranian authorities of their cover story and smuggle the Americans out before they are discovered. The intricacies of identity creation, the pressure of international politics, and the constant threat of discovery create a crucible of tension as Mendez's plan is put into action.