American naval officer Annibal Ramirez (Aidan Quinn) bears an uncanny resemblance to the infamous terrorist Carlos 'The Jackal'. CIA spy Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland) and his Israeli counterpart Amos (Ben Kingsley) hatch a plan to lure Carlos into a trap, using his doppelganger as bait. However, Annibal must first adopt The Jackal's ruthless disposition, a transformation that risks robbing him of his humanity.