Amy (Naomi Watts) and Pete (Tim Roth) are a wealthy and kind middle-class couple. Ten years ago, they adopted a boy named Luce (Kevin Harrison Jr.) from Eritrea, a war-torn country in Africa. Luce had been subjected to very cruel military training as a child soldier. Amy and Pete firmly believed that a good education and inclusive love could help him regain his kind nature. Ten years later, Luce has grown up to be an upright and promising teenager without any danger, and the mark engraved on him in the past has faded. Luce's African-American teacher Harrett (Octavia Spencer) admires this student very much and believes that he can change people's stereotypes about African countries and races.