The story begins with eight people arrested for murdering the president after the assassination of President Lincoln. Mary (Robin White Robin Wright), 42, is the only woman among them. Mary runs a family hotel, and all the plans to assassinate the president are born in a room in this hotel. Aiken (James McAvoy James McAvoy) is a fledgling young lawyer, he was ordered to defend Mary, although Aiken knew that even with his defense, Mary could not escape the death penalty, but decided to go through the process. However, after communicating with Mary, Aiken gradually began to suspect that Mary was really innocent and that she was just a hostage threatened and used. No one believed Mary's innocence, and her life was completely pinched in Aiken's hands.