Corporate engineer Joe Ross has invented a potentially lucrative "process", the precise nature of which is never revealed. While on a retreat on the island of St. Estèphe, he meets wealthy stranger Julian "Jimmy" Dell and attracts the interest of one of the company's new secretaries, Susan Ricci. Jimmy wants to introduce Joe to his sister, an Olympic-class tennis player, in New York and asks him to deliver a package to her. Susan sits near Joe on the airplane back to New York, converses with him about how "you never know who anybody is," and talks about unwitting drug mules. Suddenly afraid the package might contain something illegal, he opens it on the plane but finds only a 1939 edition of the book Budge on Tennis, which he damages while opening. Once home, he buys an intact copy of the book and drops it at Jimmy's sister’s building, keeping the original at his office. Jimmy suggests that Joe's boss, Mr. Klein, might not give him fair retribution for his work. Jimmy invites Joe to dinner, and seemingly on a lark opens a Swiss bank account for him with a token balance of 15 Swiss francs. Taking him to dinner at a club requiring membership, Jimmy has Joe sign a certificate to join. Over dinner, he advises Joe to consult legal counsel about his position in the company regarding the Process. He invites Joe to meet with his own lawyer and tells him to bring along the only copy of the Process. Joe soon learns that Jimmy's sister does not exist, and realizes Jimmy is a con artist attempting to steal the Process. Joe contacts Pat McCune, a woman he met on the island who Susan told him was an FBI agent, and whose business card Susan had kept. McCune’s FBI squad enlists him in a sting operation to catch Jimmy. While fitting Joe with a wire for his planned meeting with Jimmy, an FBI agent explains the Spanish Prisoner con, a version of which Jimmy has been running on Joe. When Jimmy never shows up for the meeting, Joe realizes McCune is actually part of Jimmy's con game, and that the Process has just been stolen. Joe attempts to explain what happened to his employer and the police but finds that Jimmy has made it appear that he has sold his Process to the Japanese. The Swiss bank account that Jimmy opened for him makes it look as though he is hiding assets, and the certificate he signed to join the club turns out to be a request for political asylum in Venezuela, which has no extradition treaty with the United States. The police show Joe that Jimmy's apartment is a façade and that the club's members-only room is a normal restaurant. Joe is also framed for the murder of the company lawyer, George Lang. On the run, Joe reconnects with Susan, who says she believes his story. Joe remembers that the hotel on the island maintains video surveillance, which could prove that Jimmy was there. Susan takes him to the airport so he can fly back to the island. Seeing a police roadblock on the way to the airport, she convinces him to drive to Boston. At the airport in Boston, Susan gives Joe a plane ticket, and a camera bag, which unbeknownst to him contains a gun. Before passing through security, he realizes that Jimmy left his fingerprints on the book Joe was to deliver. He leaves the airport with Susan, still not realizing she is working against him. They purchase ferry tickets to return home. While Susan leaves to call Klein to inform him about the book, Joe attempts to board the ferry with the plane ticket, only to realize the ticket is for Venezuela, and that he was being set up. On the ferry, Jimmy suddenly appears and Susan turns on Joe; the final step of the con will be Joe's death, made to appear as a suicide. Jimmy reveals what he has done with the Process, and turns his gun on Joe, but is tranquilized by US Marshals pretending to be Japanese tourists. They reveal that they have been following Jimmy for months and that Mr. Klein plotted the con to keep all the profits for himself. Susan asks Joe for mercy, but he nonchalantly tells her she must "spend some time in room", meaning prison.

In Ancient Egypt, the enslaved Hebrew people pray to God for deliverance. Pharaoh Seti, fearing that the growing numbers of Hebrews could lead to rebellion, orders a mass infanticide of all newborn Hebrew boys. Yocheved and her children, Miriam and Aaron, rush to the Nile River, where she places her newborn son in a basket on the water, bidding him farewell with a final lullaby. Miriam follows the basket as it floats to Seti's palace and witnesses her brother safely adopted by Seti's wife, Queen Tuya, who names him Moses. Before leaving, Miriam prays that Moses will return to free the Hebrews. Years later, Moses and his adoptive brother Rameses, heir to the throne of Egypt, are scolded by Seti for accidentally destroying a temple. After Moses suggests that Rameses be given the opportunity to prove his responsibility, Seti names Rameses prince regent. High priests Hotep and Huy offer Rameses a beautiful but rebellious young Midianite woman, Tzipporah. Moses humiliates Tzipporah by letting her fall into a pond after she refuses to submit, appeasing the crowd but disappointing Tuya. Rameses gives Tzipporah to Moses and appoints him Royal Chief Architect. Later that night, Moses follows Tzipporah as she escapes from the palace, choosing not to stop her. He runs into the now-adult Miriam and Aaron, whom he does not recognize. He disbelieves their claims and almost has them arrested until Miriam sings their mother's lullaby, triggering Moses's memory. He flees in denial, but learns the truth of Seti's genocide from a nightmare, then from Seti himself, who disturbs Moses by claiming the Hebrews were "only slaves". The next day, Moses tries to stop an Egyptian slave driver from flogging an elderly Hebrew slave, accidentally pushing the slave driver to his death. Horrified and ashamed, Moses flees into the desert in exile, despite Rameses's pleas that he stay. Arriving at an oasis, Moses defends three girls from brigands, only to realize their older sister is Tzipporah. Moses is welcomed by Jethro, Tzipporah's father and the high priest of Midian, who helps Moses gain a more positive outlook on life. Moses becomes a shepherd, falls in love with Tzipporah, marries her, and grows adjusted to life in Midian. Moses discovers a burning bush, through which God tells him to return to Egypt and free the Hebrews. God bestows Moses's shepherding staff with his power and promises that he will tell Moses what to say. When Moses tells Tzipporah of his task, she decides to join him. Arriving in Egypt, Moses is happily greeted by Rameses, who is now Pharaoh with a wife and son. Moses demands the Hebrews' release and transforms his staff into a snake to demonstrate God's power. Hotep and Huy deceptively recreate this transformation, only to have their snakes eaten by Moses's. Not wanting to have his actions cause the empire's collapse and feeling betrayed by Moses, Rameses denies Moses's demand and doubles the Hebrews' workload. The Hebrews, including Aaron, blame Moses for their increased workload, discouraging Moses, but Miriam inspires Moses to persevere. Moses casts the first of the Ten Plagues of Egypt by changing the waters of the Nile into blood, but Rameses remains unmoved. God inflicts eight more plagues onto Egypt: frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hailfire, locusts, and prolonged darkness, but still Rameses refuses to relent, vowing never to release the Hebrews. Disheartened, Moses prepares the Hebrews for the tenth plague, instructing them to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood. That night, the final plague kills all the firstborn sons of Egypt, including Rameses's young son, while passing over the Hebrews' marked homes. Grief-stricken, Rameses permits the Hebrews to leave. After leaving the palace, Moses collapses in anguish and remorse. The following morning, Moses, Miriam, Aaron and Tzipporah lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Once at the Red Sea, a vengeful Rameses pursues them with his army, intent on killing them. However, a pillar of fire blocks the army's way, while Moses uses his staff to part the sea. The Hebrews cross the open sea bottom; the fire vanishes and the army gives chase, but the sea closes over and drowns the Egyptian soldiers, sparing Rameses alone. Moses mournfully bids Rameses farewell and leads the Hebrews to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments.

FBI Special Agent Anthony Hubbard and his Lebanese-American partner Frank Haddad intervene at the hijacking of a bus fully loaded with passengers, which contains an explosive device. The bomb turns out to be a paint bomb and the terrorists escape. The FBI receives demands to release Sheikh Ahmed Bin Talal, a suspect in an earlier bombing. Hubbard is confronted by Central Intelligence Agency operative Elise Kraft while taking a different suspect into custody and arrests her. Later, another terrorist threat is made and a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus is suicide bombed, killing 25 people. The FBI captures Samir Nazhde, a man who admits to signing the visa application of one of the suicide bombers in the course of signing many applications for student visas in his job as a lecturer. Kraft insists that Samir, with whom she has a sexual relationship, is not a terrorist and that his continued freedom is vital to the investigation. Hubbard and his team track down and eliminate the terrorist cell and believe that the threat is over. However, the terrorist incidents escalate with the bombing of a crowded theater and a hostage situation at an elementary school, and culminate in the destruction of One Federal Plaza, the location of the FBI's New York City field office, causing more than 600 deaths. Over the objections of some of his advisors, the President of the United States declares martial law and the Army 's 101st Airborne Division, under Major General William Devereaux, occupies and seals off Brooklyn to locate the remaining terrorist cells. All young men of Arab descent, including Haddad's son Frank Jr., are rounded up and detained in Downing Stadium. Haddad resigns in outrage while New Yorkers stage violent demonstrations against the Army’s occupation and the profiling of Arabs. Hubbard and Kraft, now revealed to be intelligence operative Sharon Bridger, continue their investigation and capture a suspect, Tariq Husseini. Devereaux, who was surveilling Hubbard, tortures and kills Husseini in the course of the interrogation. Husseini reveals nothing of value because of the principle of compartmentalized information. Sickened, Bridger concedes that she provided training and support to militants opposed to Saddam Hussein ' s regime, working with Samir to recruit and train the followers of the Sheikh. After the cut of their funding and the group was left to be exposed, she took pity on the few of the victims who had not yet been slaughtered by Hussein's forces, and arranged for them to escape to the United States, ultimately leading to the present situation as they direct their bomb making and covert skills on the country that now holds their leader. The Sheikh was also apprehended by Devereaux without any consent from the U.S. government. She and Hubbard compel Samir to arrange a meeting with the final terrorist cell. Hubbard convinces Haddad to return to the FBI. A multi-ethnic peace march demonstrates against the occupation of Brooklyn. As the march begins, Hubbard and Haddad arrive at the meeting place, but Bridger and Samir have already departed. Samir reveals to Bridger that he is in fact the final bomber while also predicting that, "there will never be a last cell," as their terrorist acts are just a beginning. He straps a bomb to his body, intending to detonate it among the marchers. Hubbard and Haddad arrive in time to prevent him from leaving a bathhouse, but Samir shoots Bridger in the stomach as she struggles to stop him. Hubbard and Haddad kill Samir but can only watch as Bridger succumbs to her wound after reciting lines of the second half of the Lord's Prayer and concluding with " Inshallah ". Hubbard, Haddad, and their team raid Devereaux's headquarters to arrest him for the torture and murder of Husseini and the unauthorized detaining of the Sheikh. Devereaux insists that under the War Powers Resolution the authority vested in himself by the President supersedes that of the court which issued the arrest warrant. He then commands his soldiers to aim their assault rifles at the agents, resulting in a Mexican standoff. Hubbard reminds Devereaux that the civil liberties and human rights which he took from Husseini are what all of his predecessors have fought and died for. Devereaux finally submits and is arrested. Martial law ends and the detainees, including Haddad's son, are given their freedom.

A young and naive Englishman, John Truscott (Hugh Dancy), goes to the British protectorate of Sarawak, Borneo (described as a "colony" in the film), to try to apply his father's work to the Iban society. There he meets his boss Henry Bullard (Bob Hoskins) and his wife Aggie Bullard (Brenda Blethyn). John tries to civilize the area, building schools and providing education for the Iban people, and encounters unfamiliar local customs. A girl, Selima (Jessica Alba), becomes his "sleeping dictionary", who sleeps with him and teaches him the language and the habits of the locals. John is sent upriver where a sickness is affecting the Yakata tribe. He and Selima travel inland. John witnesses a nearby mining operation run by Europeans. He notices that the Yakata have rice – which has been given to them by the miners – and he guesses correctly that the miners have poisoned the rice in order to get rid of the Yakata. Knowing that they will exact vengeance, John tells the Yakata what has happened. The Yakata wipe out the miners. Despite their intent, John and Selima find themselves falling into a forbidden love. John is eager to marry Selima despite the longhouse not allowing it. When John tells Henry about his plans to marry her, they lock Selima up. Selima agrees to marry in the longhouse before they part ways. Bullard threatens to send John to trial for the death of the European miners. He makes a deal with John. John has to give up Selima, and go to Britain for a year's vacation and to meet the Bullards' daughter Cecilia (Emily Mortimer). Another local British official, Neville Shipperly (Noah Taylor), a boorish drunk and a man who despises the locals, is jealous of John because he had planned to win Cecilia as his own. A year later, John is seen marrying Cecilia. He still struggles to get over his past with his sleeping dictionary. With Cecilia, he decides the best thing to do is go back to Sarawak to continue his work there. In Sarawak, Cecilia notices John's desire for Selima despite constantly keeping his distance from her. Cecilia demands to know more about Selima; John replies that she is married to Belansai and that the couple have a baby together. While at the lake collecting rocks for research, John sees Selima with her baby. He believes the child to be his and asks Famous to arrange a meeting with the pair. Back at the house, Selima walks in, unaware that John is there. Here, John meets his son Mandar for the first time. When Belansai hears news that John is spending time with his wife, he sneaks in to try to kill John but only manages to hurt him with a razor. The next morning, Henry reveals to John his past about his own 'sleeping dictionary', which resulted in the birth of another child: Selima. Belansai is caught and sentenced to be hanged for trying to kill an officer. Selima is not happy, as Belansai has been a good father to Mandar. Not wanting his friend Belansai to die, John nevertheless goes through with announcing Belansai's hanging, having no other option. Later that night, Selima goes to help Belansai escape, not knowing that John is already there, breaking Belansai out and handing him a gun. As Belansai hurries off, John turns to Selima, asking to meet him at the dock so they can escape on the boat. When Selima expresses fear that he will be caught, he says "Then I'll tell them I'd rather have you than a country... or a language... or a history". They embrace as the rain is pouring behind them. The next day, since the people of the Longhouse have turned on Selima, she is forced to become the sleeping dictionary for Neville. Later Cecilia announces she is pregnant, shocking John. That night, Selima bashes Neville on the head, knocking him out, because he has attempted to attack her and force her. She grabs the baby and runs from the house, heading for the docks. John still has plans to be with Selima and their son, and, as he begins writing a note, is stopped by Cecilia. The couple then talk about John's love for Selima and how Cecilia wants John to be happy. Aggie is not happy that Cecilia and Henry have allowed both John and Selima to run away together because she never left Henry's sight, fearing he'd go with his sleeping dictionary. She encourages Neville to go after them. With the help of Famous and the Yakata, John searches for Selima as she's left believing that John didn't come to the place of arrangement. They reunite as Neville comes through with a gun. He tells them to cuff themselves around the bamboos and tells them of his plans to kill John, Selima and their baby. They're then rescued by the Yakata, who kill Neville. At the end, they decide to live together and migrate with the Yakata.

Gabriel Yulaw, once an agent of the MultiVerse Authority (MVA) which polices interdimensional travel, seeks to hunt down 124 variants of himself across parallel universes. By killing his other selves and absorbing their life energies, Yulaw believes that he will become a super-powered, godlike being called "The One". After killing Lawless, a convict and the 123rd variant in the Anubis Universe, Yulaw is captured by MVA agents Roedecker and Funsch and taken back to the MVA headquarters in the Alpha Universe. He is sentenced to life in the Hades Universe's Stygian penal colony, but Yulaw manages to escape with the help of an accomplice and teleports to the Charis Universe. The last known variant, Gabe Law, is a deputy sheriff working of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department within the Charis Universe. For two years, Gabe has been experiencing increases in strength, speed, and mental ability, but neither he nor his wife T.K. can understand why. While transporting a prisoner, Gabe "feels" Yulaw's presence in time to avoid being shot. Gabe sustains an injury after falling from a wall which Yulaw scales with ease. Roedecker and Funsch arrive in time to stop Yulaw from finishing him off. Although unfamiliar with interdimensional travel, Gabe realizes that Yulaw is identical to him in every way. Roedecker and Funsch track Yulaw to the hospital where Gabe is being examined. Yulaw deters them from shooting him because if he is killed, Gabe would then be left as the One. Dressed alike and identical to each other, Gabe and Yulaw's battle confuses the other police officers. Both Gabe and Yulaw manage to escape the hospital. The MVA agents deviate from their orders and split up. Roedecker pursues and fights Yulaw but is killed when the latter breaks his neck, disabling a bomb Roedecker intended to use to finish both of them off. Funsch catches up with Gabe and explains to him that there are multiple universes with wormholes briefly connecting them at uncontrollable times. Meanwhile, Yulaw sneaks into Gabe's residence where T.K., believing him to be Gabe, agrees to hide him from the police. She realizes that Yulaw is deceiving her but not in time to avoid being captured. Gabe arrives, only to watch helplessly as Yulaw kills T.K. Funsch finds a guilt-ridden Gabe and both team up to find Yulaw at the next wormhole. Gabe and Funsch arrive at an industrial plant, where they encounter and fight Yulaw. Funsch is easily defeated but Gabe and Yulaw are more evenly matched. Gabe manages to gain the upper hand but only seconds before the wormhole arrives. All three of them are sucked into it and collapse on the floor of the MVA headquarters. Yulaw is transported immediately to the Hades Universe after a failed attempt to switch places with Gabe. The MVA then prepares to send Gabe back to his own universe, where he will take the fall for Yulaw's crimes. Recalling an earlier conversation with Gabe, Funsch compassionately sends him to a different universe in which Gabe can have a normal life again from when he first met T.K. Now imprisoned in the Hades Universe, Yulaw declares that he will still become the One and then proceeds to battle several of the penal colony's inmates on top of a ziggurat.

Alex Bernier is a disillusioned priest and a member of the fictional Carolingian Order– an ancient sect that specializes in exorcisms and combatting demonic forces. The narrative begins with the mysterious death of Father Dominic– the head of the Carolingians, in Rome. Alex is dispatched by Cardinal Driscoll– a prominent Vatican official and papal candidate, to investigate the circumstances surrounding Dominic's demise. Before his departure, Alex is approached by Mara Williams– an artist who he previously attempted to exorcise. Mara reveals that she senses impending danger for Alex. It is disclosed that during the exorcism, Mara attempted to kill Alex, and was subsequently imprisoned in a mental institution. Despite that history between them, Alex permits Mara to accompany him to Rome after she assures him that she poses no threat. In Rome, Alex examines Dominic's corpse, and observes unusual markings, which he identifies as the work of a sin-eater– a figure that is capable of absolving sins outside of the Church's authority. Seeking assistance, Alex contacts his friend and fellow Carolingian priest, Thomas Garrett. The Vatican denies the existence of sin-eaters, and refuses to give Dominic a burial on consecrated ground, due to alleged excommunication. Defying orders, Alex conducts a clandestine funeral service for Dominic in the Carolingian cemetery. Cardinal Driscoll arrives in Rome, and presents Alex with an ancient dagger and a fragmentary parchment that contains an Aramaic incantation. Believing these to be tools to eliminate the sin-eater, Alex and Thomas pursue further information. Their search leads them to a clandestine figure known as the Black Pope, who operates an underground sect. The Black Pope instructs Alex to seek answers from dying people, and he orchestrated a scenario in which three men are hanged. One of the dying men provides a riddle that guides Alex to a meeting with the sin-eater. During their escape from the Black Pope's domain, Thomas is injured by demonic entities, and Alex brings him to a hospital. Alex then encounters the sin-eater, William Eden, at St. Peter's Basilica. Eden, weary after centuries of service, expresses a desire for Alex to succeed him. Intrigued but conflicted, Alex assists Eden in a sin-eating ritual but ultimately declines the offer, deciding to leave the priesthood to pursue a relationship with Mara. Unbeknownst to Alex, Eden visits Mara and inflicts fatal wounds, making it appear as a suicide attempt. Discovering her near death and beyond medical help, Alex performs the sin-eating ritual to ensure her passage to heaven. Realizing that Mara did not kill herself, Alex deduces Eden's manipulation, and resolves to confront him. Meanwhile, Thomas uncovers that the Black Pope is actually Cardinal Driscoll. Driscoll reveals the complete parchment, which outlines the true purpose of the dagger and incantation, which is not to kill the sin-eater, but to transfer his powers to a successor. Driscoll prevents Thomas from warning Alex of this revelation. Alex confronts Eden and, following the supposed instructions to eliminate him, stabs Eden with the dagger while reciting the incantation. Eden dies, and the sin-eating powers are inadvertently transferred to Alex. Thomas arrives too late to prevent the transfer, and informs Alex of Driscoll's deceit. It becomes apparent that Dominic, Eden, and Driscoll orchestrated events to manipulate Alex into becoming the new sin-eater: Eden sought release from his burden; Driscoll desired the papacy; and Dominic aimed to access forbidden knowledge. Alex exposes Driscoll's machinations to the Church, leading to the Cardinal's downfall. Facing ruin, Driscoll attempts suicide, and summons Alex to absolve his sins. Instead, Alex forces Driscoll to confront his own corruption, refusing to perform the ritual. Embracing his new role, Alex decides to use his abilities as a force for good, by offering salvation to people who he deems worthy, and denying it to people who are unrepentant.

Walter Mitty is a negative assets manager at Life magazine living alone in New York City. He chronically daydreams and has a secret crush on Cheryl Melhoff, a coworker. Walter attempts to contact Cheryl via eHarmony, but eHarmony customer service agent Todd Mahar explains that Walter's account profile is not filled out completely: the "been there" and "done that" sections are blank. Walter works with legendary photojournalist Sean O'Connell, although they have never met in person. Sean is "old-school", working with analog film and later sending a telegram. At work, Walter receives a negative roll from Sean, as well as a wallet in appreciation of Walter's work. Sean relays to Walter and Life management that he believes negative #25 captures the "quintessence of life" and should be used for the cover of the magazine's final print issue before it becomes digital. However, the negative #25 is missing. When Ted Hendricks, the obnoxious manager of the magazine's transition, asks to see #25, Walter stalls, worried about being fired. He then asks Cheryl for help in contacting O'Connell. Walter looks to the other negatives for clues to Sean's location – water, a thumb, and a mysterious curved object. Walter and Hernando, his assistant, see a reflection in the water, which is the name of a ship registered in Greenland. Walter reluctantly takes a plane to Greenland. A bartender in Nuuk explains that Sean left on a ship. To reach him, Walter would need to go on the postal helicopter, whose pilot is drunk. Walter recognizes the pilot's thumb from one of the negatives and joins the pilot on a trip to bring supplies to the ship. Walter accidentally jumps into ice-cold, shark-infested waters, losing the ship's supplies and preventing radio communication when he comes aboard. There, Walter learns that Sean departed the ship a few days earlier and discovers from notes on wrapping paper for a clementine cake Sean left behind that he is heading to Iceland to photograph the volcano Eyjafjallajökull. The ship brings Walter to Iceland. He then bikes, skateboards, and runs through the Icelandic countryside to find Sean but misses him as the volcano erupts. Dejected, he returns home. Hendricks assumes that Walter misplaced the negative and fires him. He tries to visit Cheryl but spots her ex-husband and leaves. Walter visits his mother and throws away the wallet from Sean. He recognizes the curve of the piano in his mother's house while looking at the last negative. When asked, she tells Walter that she baked him the clementine cake. She had told him earlier, but he was daydreaming. Walter figures out from the notes that Sean is in the Afghan Himalayas. After an arduous journey, he finds him photographing a rare snow leopard. When asked about the negative, Sean explains that, attempting to be playful, he had placed the negative in the wallet. He decides not to tell Walter what the picture actually depicts. When Walter returns to America, the airport security in Los Angeles detains him for arriving from Afghanistan. To verify his identity, Walter calls the only person he knows in Los Angeles: Todd, from eHarmony, who has kept in contact during Walter's travels. Todd expresses admiration for how adventurous Walter appears. Walter receives the wallet from his mother, who had retrieved it from the trash, and obtains the negative but chooses not to look at it. Emboldened, he delivers it to Life ' s offices and berates Hendricks for disrespecting the staff. Walter reunites with Cheryl and thanks her for inspiring him on his journey. Cheryl asks about his adventures and tells him that her ex-husband had only been at her house to help with repairs. Walking along the street, they see the final print issue on sale at a newsstand, and on its cover, they see the photograph from #25. It shows Walter sitting outside of the Life building, examining a contact sheet; the magazine is dedicated to Life ' s staff, and Sean's note referred to "quintessence of Life ". Walter and Cheryl continue their walk holding hands.

In contemporary Russia, Ivan and his older brother Andrei have grown a deep attachment to each other to make up for their fatherless childhood. Both their mother and grandmother live with them. After running home after a fight with each other, the boys are shocked to discover their father has returned after a 12-year absence. With their mother's uneasy blessing, Ivan and Andrei set out on what they believe will be a simple fishing vacation with him. Andrei is delighted to be reunited with their father and Ivan is apprehensive towards the man whom they know only from a faded photograph. At first, both brothers are pleased with the prospect of an exciting adventure, but they soon strain under the weight of their father's awkward and increasingly brutal efforts to make up for the missing decade. Ivan and Andrei find themselves alternately tested, rescued, scolded, mentored, scrutinized, and ignored by the man. Andrei seems to look up to his father while Ivan remains stubbornly defensive. As the truck stops and cafés give way to rain-swept, primeval wilderness coastline, Ivan's doubts give way to open defiance. Andrei's powerful need to bond with a father he's never known begins, in turn, to distance him from Ivan. For his part, Ivan resents his father's test of will. Eventually, the tension between them escalates into bitter hostility after the trio arrives at their mysterious island destination. At first, the three of them are busy settling in. The father wants to show the island to the two boys. Ivan and Andrei are keen to collect worms (as bait) in order to go fishing. Meanwhile, without telling the two boys, their father heads inland to an old, derelict house. Between the collapsed walls of the house, with a shovel, the father starts digging a deep pit. At the bottom of the pit, there is a large trunk. The father opens it. He takes out what looks like a strongbox, which appears to be heavy. Without opening the mysterious box and without checking its content, the father returns to the shoreline with it. Out of sight of the two boys, he places the strongbox inside a compartment under one of the wooden seats, on the small boat that brought them to the deserted island. The two boys re-appear and are ready to go fishing. Their father lends his wristwatch to Andrei and lets them go away from the shore, in the boat, to enjoy some fishing. But the two boys return much later than had been agreed and their father gets angry. He focuses his anger on Andrei, the elder, as he was notionally in charge of the fishing party. Ivan has an outburst of rage after witnessing his father strike Andrei. He shouts at his father, runs into the forest, and climbs to the top of the observatory tower. Andrei and their father run after him. The father tries to reason with Ivan, but this only stresses Ivan further. He then threatens to jump down from the top of the tower. The father tries to reach out to him, but falls to his death. Ivan and Andrei take the body across the forest, bring him on board the boat, and row back to where they came. While the boys are putting their gear in the car, the boat starts to drift away. Andrei screams, "Father!" and starts running towards the shore, followed by Ivan, but it is too late. The boat and the body are sinking. Unbeknown to the two boys, inside the boat is the strongbox. Ivan screams "Father!" for the last time from the bottom of his heart. The boat sinks to the bottom of the lake, with the father's corpse and the strongbox in it. The two boys get into the car and drive away. The film ends with photographs from their journey; since the father does not appear on any of them, there is no proof that Andrei and Ivan went on a trip with him.

On Walter Sparrow's birthday (February 3), his wife Agatha gives him The Number 23, a book by Topsy Kretts, as a birthday present. Walter starts reading it and notices similarities between himself and the main character, the detective " Fingerling ". Fingerling is obsessed with the 23 enigma, the idea that all incidents and events are connected to the number 23. Walter too becomes obsessed with the number and attempts to uncover the mystery of the book's author, but he cannot find any information. Walter's son, Robin, is interested in the enigma too, but Agatha dismisses it as superstition. In the book, Fingerling discovers that his lover, Fabrizia, is having an affair and stabs her to death. The police arrest her lover because he found her body and picked up the murder weapon, assuming it was a type of sexual roleplay. Fingerling then prepares to commit suicide by jumping from a hotel balcony, and the book ends abruptly. Walter later learns of Laura Tollins, a murder victim whose body was never found, and whose murder is similar to Fabrizia's death. Walter believes that the man who was sent to prison for Laura's murder, Kyle Flinch, wrote the book. In prison, Walter visits Flinch, who denies killing Laura or writing the book. Robin discovers an address hidden in the book and they hope that it will lead them to the book's true author. When Walter confronts the man, Dr. Sirius Leary, he commits suicide by cutting his own throat. Before dying, Leary tells Agatha to go to a now-abandoned mental institution that he used to work at. At the institute, Agatha discovers a box with Walter's name on it. Walter discovers a code in the book that tells the reader the location of Laura's body. Walter and Robin find the skeleton, but when they return with the police, the skeleton is missing. After seeing Agatha washing mud off her hands, she admits that she moved the skeleton. Walter accuses her of being Topsy Kretts. However, Agatha says that Walter was really the one who wrote the book. Agatha shows Walter the box from the institute that has his name on it. Inside, Walter sees the sources he used to write the book, and begins having flashes of repressed memories. In room 23 of the hotel in the book, Walter finds the missing final chapter of the book scribbled under the wallpaper. Walter used to be obsessed with the 23 enigma because it drove his father to suicide. He was also involved with Laura, who left him for Flinch, resulting in him killing her. After Flinch was sent to prison for the murder, Walter wrote the book in the room as an elaborate suicide note, changing the details of his confession into a deranged fantasy. Walter then jumped off the balcony, but survived. The resulting brain damage left him with amnesia, and he was sent to the institute to recover, and met Agatha after being released. Dr. Leary, one of Walter's doctors, read the book and became obsessed with the number, eventually publishing the book under the name Topsy Kretts. Agatha arrives, and tells Walter that he has changed, which is why she hid the skeleton. Convinced that he will kill again, Walter attempts to commit suicide by running into the path of a bus. However, Walter does not go through with it, not wanting Robin to lose a father like he did, and exclaims that 23 is just a number. Walter turns himself in to the police for the murder of Laura. While he awaits sentencing, his lawyer says that the judge will go easy on him because he confessed. Walter declares that this is not the happiest ending, but it is the right one, and expresses hope that things will return to normal for his family once he is released from prison. Laura's body is laid to rest in the cemetery, and Flinch is present, having been released from prison and now at peace. The credits begin with a Bible verse (Numbers 32:23), which reads: "Be sure that your sin will find you out."

Abby, an American, has moved to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend Ethan, and meets British expatriate Charlie and American hostess Gretchen. Ethan breaks up with her before leaving for Osaka, and a heartbroken Abby visits a nearby ramen shop run by chef Maezumi and his wife Reiko, who do not speak English. Abby does not understand Japanese, but the chef kindly brings her a bowl of ramen. Loving the meal, she hallucinates the shop's maneki-neko beckoning to her, and Maezumi and Reiko refuse to let her pay. The next day, Abby returns to the shop, where she and another patron break into uncontrollable giggles as they eat. Coming back the following day, she insists on helping an injured Reiko serve customers. When the night is through, Maezumi and Reiko find Abby asleep in the back and shoo her out, but she realizes she wants to learn the art of ramen. Rushing back, she begs Maezumi to teach her, and he reluctantly agrees. He treats her harshly, hoping she will quit, but she perseveres and charms the customers as the shop's new waitress. After her constant voicemails for Ethan go unanswered, Abby enjoys a rare night off with Charlie and Gretchen, and strikes up a connection with Toshi Iwamoto. The chaotic Gretchen comes to stay with Abby, who bonds with Toshi over the unexpected directions their lives have taken, and he and Abby enjoy a date at the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. When Maezumi's rival Udagawa brags that a Grand Master chef will soon determine if his son is worthy of carrying on the family ramen tradition, Maezumi drunkenly declares that Abby will be tested as well. Fed up with Maezumi's treatment, Abby questions him about the collection of letters and photos she has seen him cry over. He storms off, and Reiko explains that the mail is from their son Shintaro, a chef in Paris, whom Maezumi has not spoken to in five years since he left for France. Toshi reveals his job is sending him to Shanghai for the next three years, and asks Abby to come with him, but she chooses to stay. Insisting that Abby's cooking has no soul, Maezumi brings her to his mother, who tells her, in Japanese, that she must cook from the heart; Abby confesses that she has been unlucky in love, leaving only pain, and Maezumi's mother suggests putting her tears in her ramen. Abby prepares her broth while crying, and serves it to a table of regular customers, inspiring tearful reactions from everyone who tastes it, including Maezumi. The Grand Master arrives, and after a few sparing bites of the ramen prepared by Udagawa's son, gives him his blessing. At Maezumi's shop, the Master heartily enjoys Abby's unconventional "Goddess Ramen", but tells her that she needs more time and restraint and he cannot give his blessing. Disappointed after almost a year of training, Abby commiserates with Maezumi, who tells her that he felt he would never have a successor after his son chose to study French cuisine instead. Deciding to close his shop after forty-five years, he declares that she is his true successor. Abby soon leaves for America, as the entire neighborhood bids her goodbye, and Maezumi gives her the lantern that hung outside his shop. A year later, Toshi has quit his job to pursue his passion for writing music, and reunites with Abby at her own ramen shop in New York City, "The Ramen Girl", with a framed photo of Maezumi and Reiko happily visiting their son in Paris, and the lantern hanging outside.

In 2005, Steve Lopez is a journalist working for the Los Angeles Times. He is divorced and now works for his ex-wife, Mary, an editor. A biking accident lands Lopez in a hospital. One day, he hears a violin being played beautifully. Investigating, he encounters Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless man with schizophrenia, who is playing a violin when Lopez introduces himself. During the conversation that follows, Lopez learns that Ayers once attended Juilliard. Curious as to how a former student of such a prestigious school ended up on the streets, Lopez contacts Juilliard but learns that no record of Ayers graduating from it exists. Though at first figuring a man with schizophrenia who's talented with a cello isn't worth his time, Lopez soon realizes that he has no better story to write about. Luckily, he soon learns that Ayers did attend Juilliard, but dropped out after two years. Finding Ayers the next day, Lopez says he wants to write about him. Ayers doesn't appear to be paying attention. Getting nowhere, Lopez finds and contacts Ayers' sister, who gives the columnist the information he needs: Ayers was once a child prodigy with the cello, until he began displaying symptoms of schizophrenia at Juilliard. Unable to handle the voices, Ayers dropped out and ended up on the streets due to the delusion that his sister wanted to kill him. Without a cello, he has resorted to playing a two-string violin. Lopez writes his article. One reader is so touched that she sends a cello for Ayers. Lopez brings it to him and Ayers shows he is just as proficient as with a violin. Unfortunately, his tendency to wander puts both Ayers and the cello in danger, so Lopez talks him into leaving it at a shelter, located in a neighborhood of homeless people. Ayers is later seen playing for the homeless. A concerned Lopez tries to get a doctor he knows to help. He also tries to talk Ayers into getting an apartment, but Ayers refuses. After seeing a reaction to music played at an opera house, Lopez persuades another friend, Graham, a cellist, to rehabilitate Ayers through music. The lessons go well, though Ayers is shown to be getting a little too attached to Lopez, much to the latter's annoyance. Lopez eventually talks Ayers into moving into an apartment by threatening to abandon him. Through Lopez's article, Ayers gains so much fame that he is given the chance to perform a recital. Sadly, he loses his temper, attacks Graham, and leaves. This convinces Lopez's doctor friend to get Ayers help. But when Ayers learns what Lopez is up to, he throws Lopez out of his apartment and threatens to kill him. While speaking with Mary, Lopez realizes that not only has he changed Ayers' life, but Ayers has changed his. Determined to make amends, Lopez brings Ayers' sister to L.A. for a visit. Ayers and Lopez make up. Later, while they all watch an orchestra, Lopez ponders how beneficial their friendship has been. Ayers still hears voices, but at least he no longer lives on the streets. In addition, Ayers has helped improve Lopez's relationship with his own family. It is revealed at the end that Ayers is still a member of the LAMP Community – a Los Angeles nonprofit organization that seeks to help people living with severe mental illness – and that Lopez is learning how to play the guitar.

In 1958, 15-year-old Michael Berg becomes sick on a tram ride in an unnamed provincial city. He is helped by 36-year-old tram conductor Hanna Schmitz. Weeks later, Michael has recovered from scarlet fever and at his mother's insistence, he visits Hanna with flowers to thank her for her help. They proceed to have a secret summer love affair, and Hanna often asks Michael to read to her. They have a brief cycling holiday in the country where Michael starts to notice some oddities in Hanna's behaviour. However, as their sexual relationship deepens it grows more tumultuous, when his attempts to form a deeper connection are rebuffed by her secretive nature. As a good reliable worker, Hanna is soon promoted, whereupon she abruptly quits without explanation. Michael visits Hanna to apologize following an argument, but is utterly befuddled and devastated to find her apartment vacant. In 1966, Michael is a student at Heidelberg University Law School and observes a war crime trial of several former female SS guards accused of letting 300 Jewish women and children perish in a burning church during a death march near Kraków in Poland. Michael is horrified to learn Hanna is one of the defendants. Survivor Ilana Mather provides testimony, including that Hanna forced some of the prisoners to read to her. Hanna admits that she and the co-defendants each chose ten women monthly for extermination at Auschwitz in Nazi-occupied Poland. Ilana's mother Rose testifies that when the church caught fire during a bombing, the guards refused to unlock the doors. The official SS report stated the guards did not know about the fire until the following day. Hanna reveals the guards in fact kept the doors locked so that the prisoners could not escape. Hanna's co-defendants all state she was in command and wrote the report. Hanna denies this, insisting they agreed on the contents of the report together. When the lead judge asks for a handwriting sample, Hanna quickly condemns herself by admitting she authored the report alone. Recalling their time together, Michael is initially confounded by her testimony, finally deducing that Hanna is deeply ashamed of being illiterate. Michael informs his law professor, who states that Michael should inform the court. Deeply conflicted, Michael attempts to visit Hanna in prison, but changes his mind. Hanna receives a sentence of life imprisonment, while her co-defendants are sentenced to just over four years each. Michael attempts to move on, though haunted by the memories of a relationship that he cannot put to rest. He marries and has a daughter, however, Michael cannot commit fully to the relationship and grows distant from his family, culminating in divorce and estrangement from his daughter, Julia. Throughout the 1980s, Michael records himself on tape reading various books and regularly mails them to Hanna. Borrowing the same books from the prison library, Hanna slowly teaches herself to read and write. She starts writing to Michael, but he never replies. In 1988, a prison official requests Michael's help with Hanna's parole as he has been the only person outside prison to have had contact with her. Michael finally visits Hanna, revealing in the stilted reunion that he has secured her a residence and a job. When Michael arrives for Hanna's release, he is told she hanged herself in her cell and left a crude will asking Michael to give her money to Ilana Mather. Michael finds Ilana in New York City, revealing his connection to Hanna and its long-lasting impact. He tells Ilana about Hanna's illiteracy, but she rebuffs this and refuses to forgive Hanna. Michael gives her Hanna's tea tin filled with cash, but Ilana refuses the money. He suggests it be donated to a Jewish literacy organization in Hanna's name and Ilana agrees. She keeps the tin, placing it next to a photograph of her deceased family. The film ends in 1995 with Michael driving Julia to Hanna's grave, telling her their story.