Since renouncing his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to come to terms with the horrible things he has done in the past and finds strange solace in doing justice on behalf of the downtrodden. While at home in southern Italy, he discovers that his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events begin to escalate, McCall understands what he has to do: become the protector of his friends by standing up to the mob.