A lone warrior, Eli (Denzel Washington), walks in a post-apocalyptic wasteland that was once America. He heads west on a mission he does not fully understand but knows he must complete. In his possession is the last copy of a book he fiercely guards with his life for it holds the only hope for the future. Only Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a self-appointed warlord ruling a town of thieves and gunmen, understands the power Eli holds and is determined to make it his own. But nothing can stand in Eli's way to fulfill his destiny and bring help to a ravaged humanity.