The story follows Sam Baily, an unemployed and desperate man who, after losing his job, makes decisions that will change his life forever. In an attempt to prove that he can still be a good provider, he takes a group of children hostage at a science museum, including the daughter of one of the visitors. Overwhelmed by pressure and fear, Sam tries to gain media attention for his situation, but what he doesn't realize is that his life is about to become a public spectacle.
Amid the crisis, an ambitious journalist, seeking an exclusive that will catapult him to fame, becomes the link between Sam and the authorities. As the cameras roll and the drama escalates, the reporter begins to question where the line is between news and a person's life. Meanwhile, the situation complicates and events spiral out of control, leading to a power struggle between the desperate man and the authority figures who are playing their own game.
Tension mounts as Sam's decisions have unexpected repercussions, unleashing an unexpected duo of raw human emotions: fear and desperation on one side, ambition and morality on the other. In this explosive mix, everyone becomes caught in a whirlwind of decisions that could change their lives forever.