The wife and daughter of Frank Valera (Antonio Banderas), Sue and Olivia, are killed shortly after a talent show, in which Olivia sings a song for Frank, and their bodies are dumped in a hole near the train yard. Before the murder, Sue sent a video of Olivia’s performance to Frank. After the funeral, Frank’s father-in-law Chuck (Robert Forster) confronts him, tells him not to talk to him anymore. Frank visits the police station to discuss the murders, and Detective Lustiger (Johnathan Schaech) tells him that the police found a gold fiber at the murder scene. Lustiger suggects that the murderers belong to the Russian mafia, which operates in the area of the crime.

After subjecting himself to beatings in a mixed martial arts ring to atone for his perceived guilt for the murders, Frank is rescued by Metropolitan police officer Hank Strode (Karl Urban), whom Frank met earlier at the station. However, when Strode informs Frank that his family’s case has become “cold,” Frank leaves, dismayed and depressed. Later, after being attacked and suffering a leg wound, Frank falls through a window of a book store, where he grabs Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations to help stop the bleeding. Frank reads parts of the book and changes his attitude about what he should do next and how he should proceed. Following a suggestion in the book, he decides to take a Stoic vow of silence until the case is solved. He then sets out to learn fighting skills and become more fit.

After learning combat skills, Frank goes to the train yard, where the crime took place, to investigate. He encounters Russian thugs and defeats them, though he is injured in the process. A nurse, (Paz Vega), arrives and brings him to her home to treat his injuries. The next day, Frank returns to his home. On the way, he adopts a dog previously owned by his attackers. Later, Alma approaches to return his wallet, which he left at her place. Alma learns about his family’s death and the yard, and she befriends him.  Keep reading