 Dr. Eleanor Arroway (Jodie Foster) has spent her life searching for truth in the study of radio astronomy. Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey) has spent his searching for truth through faith in God. When Ellie discovers a stunning message from an extraterrestrial intelligence, they and everyone on Earth will be forced to challenge their own assumptions. In the inevitable first contact, will humankind be able to find a compromise between science and belief?