Mikhail (Matthias Schoenaerts) and his crew-mates head to the bottom of the ocean in a Kursky submarine for a weapons test. After a series of horrifying malfunctions send explosions tearing through the vessel, the survivors remain trapped in a damaged compartment, desperately awaiting rescue.

Back on the surface, however, the Russian government begins to fumble the rescue attempt. Refusing help from the British navy, headed by Commander David Russell (Colin Firth) and lying to Mikhail's wife Tanya (Lea Seydaux), they all but seal the men's fates.

This harrowing story of the Kursk submarine disaster which took place in August 2000 explores what happens when pride overrides logic...and what happens when good men are left to die.