At the height of the Cold War with both superpowers on edge, the Soviets hastily launch their state-of-the-art but untried nuclear submarine, K-19, despite the objection of the craft's committed commander, Mikhail Polenin. With the uncompromising Captain Alexei Vostrikov in full command of the mission, the K-19 begins its maiden voyage, pushing both the submarine's capabilities and the crew's loyalty to their limits. However, the men are in for a shocking discovery, as the vessel's leaking nuclear reactor threatens to endanger not only their lives but to trigger a devastating World War III. Are the men prepared to put their lives on the line?—Nick Riganas