The movie begins with Benjamin Gates (Nicolas Cage) trying to clear his family's name, which was tarnished by a historical scandal. Gates believes that the treasure of the Knights Templar, hidden in America by the Founding Fathers, holds the key to his family's redemption. Along with his friend Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), Gates embarks on a thrilling adventure to find the treasure before the villainous Ian Howe (Sean Bean) gets his hands on it.