影片是根据真人真事改编的，K19是苏联第一艘战略核潜艇。 影片导演凯瑟琳·毕格罗是首位奥斯卡最佳女导演奖获得者。 亚里克西（哈里森·福特 Harrison Ford 饰）船长，在冷战最为紧张的时刻接到命令接替原船长米克黑尔（ 连姆·尼森 Liam Neeson 饰）出任核动力导弹潜艇K-19的指挥官。亚里克西的任务是不惜一切代价，尽快将这艘维护不当的潜艇投入作战戒备，执行其处女航行。但是两人和全艇忠诚的官兵们压根也没想到他们会去执行什么任务。他们也无法料想到失败的代价对于他们以及全世界会意味着什么。那时，一个核反应堆发生故障，一个危险的燃料棒即将溶融、发生核爆炸，这将肯定使艇上所有人员葬身海底。当时他们在北冰洋底游弋，是全体船员们的勇敢，以及船长对国家和对船员们的职责感最终挽救了K-19，避免了一场即将发生的核灾难。
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?
