Set in the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York, experiences a harrowing journey after being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Enduring brutal treatment while occasionally encountering unexpected compassion, Solomon fights to survive while preserving his sense of self-worth. After enduring years of unimaginable hardship, a fateful encounter with a Canadian abolitionist offers him a glimmer of hope and a chance to reclaim his freedom, forever changing the course of his life.