This film focuses on the effort of an ex-convict named Ryder (John Travolta) to hijack a New York City subway train. His plan is to take command of the train and to extract a ransom of $10 million to return the train and the passengers unharmed. After the initial contact, the hijackers begin to negotiate with Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), a dispatcher recently demoted due to suspicions that he was involved in a crime himself. As Ryder threatens to kill the hostages and Garber attempts to obtain their release, the two men negotiate and confront their own worst aspects.