In 1985 Iraq, during the tumultuous Iran-Iraq War, Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), a soldier, finds himself in an unimaginable situation when he's summoned to become a fedai, a political decoy for Uday Hussein (Dominic Cooper), the notorious and playboy son of President Saddam Hussein (Philip Quast). Hailing from an upper-class family, Latif is often reminded of how alike he looks to Uday due to their shared past in school. Initially resisting this dangerous role, Latif's defiance is broken when he faces imprisonment and torture, ultimately succumbing to the demands of the regime under threats to his family.
Latif undergoes cosmetic procedures to enhance his resemblance to Uday and spends the next three years mastering the art of impersonation, mimicking Uday's wild personality and tendencies. Living in luxury, he indulges in extravagant lifestyles, including vast palaces and sportscars like Uday's Ferrari Mondial 3.2. Despite the allure of this new life, Latif grapples with the immoral actions that come with it. In a desperate attempt to reconnect with his family, whom he believes think he has perished, he makes a dash away from the hedonistic parties, only to be caught and severely punished by Uday’s guards.
As tensions rise, Uday's character grows even more unpredictable and violent. His sadism is starkly illustrated when he kidnaps a 14-year-old girl, forcing her to attend a party with him. The shocking event culminates in a monstrous display of brutality when Uday, enraged by his personal bodyguard Kamel Hana Gegeo (Mehmet Ferda)’s intervention, murders Gegeo with an electric carving knife, leaving a chilling mark of his madness. In a subsequent hospital scene, Saddam lashes out at Uday, practically lamenting, > "I should have killed him at birth."
In January 1991, as the war intensifies and the Coalition forces make their move, Latif is ordered to Basra to rally support amongst Republican Guard soldiers. Yet with danger lurking, an assassination attempt on Latif reveals the stakes of his continued impersonation, narrowly avoiding a life-changing injury. In a moment of confrontation, he is urged by the father of Uday's slain victim to seek justice, which Uday coldly flips into a demand for murder, leading Latif to a place of despair and defiance, even going so far as to injure himself.
His journey takes a new turn when, alongside Uday's lover Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier), who falls for Latif, they attempt to escape to Malta. However, the looming threat of Uday remains ever-present, rearing its head as Sarrab, driven by fear for her child in Iraq, calls back to Uday, betraying Latif's trust.
Ultimately, Latif's resolve hardens as he decides to return—not as Uday’s puppet, but with the intent to end the tyranny of Uday. Partnering with an ally motivated by vengeance, they attempt to bring an end to Uday's reign of terror during a 1996 assassination attempt that mirrors the real-life events. In a brutal encounter, they leave Uday severely injured, and in a twist of fate, Latif faces an unexpected act of mercy from a bodyguard.
In the final framing of Latif’s story, viewers discover that he lives under a new identity in Ireland with a family of his own, having chronicled his harrowing experiences in a book. Though Uday survived the assassination attempt, he carries lasting repercussions, ultimately falling victim to U.S. forces in the 2003 invasion.
