Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) are the perfect American couple travelling from beijing to moscow on the legendary trans-siberian express train. The two strike a bond with another couple, carlos (Eduardo Nooriega) and abby (kate mara), who are not exactly as they appear. unwittingly, roy and jessie are caught in a web of drug trafficking and murderous deceit when all four become targets of ex- kgb detective grinko's (ben kingsley) investigation.