Jeremy Jacobs is a directionless and unemployed twenty-something, struggling to keep it together while caring for his autistic younger brother, Greg. One day, while zoning out at Greg’s soccer game, Jeremy eavesdrops on a strange conversation that leads him down a bizarre new career path—becoming a henchman for JP Crosetti, a dying tech billionaire with plans to take over the world.
The recruiter, Trey—Crosetti’s eccentric, know-it-all right-hand man—sends Jeremy to an offbeat therapist named Helen to determine if he’s “henchman material.” When asked if he is happy, he doesn’t know how to respond. Helen tells him that happiness consists of someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to, Jeremy draws a blank. But the job—dangerous and morally questionable as it is—might be the first thing to give him a sense of purpose.
Soon, Jeremy is pulled into a secret underground lair hidden beneath a massive mega mall, where weapons don’t work, scientists tinker with world-ending tech, and all new recruits sign non-disclosures and next-of-kin forms before clocking in. There he meets Jane, a sharp-witted grocery clerk with her own baggage, who also signs up for the gig. Together they’re inducted into Crosetti’s loyal team of hench people, all tasked with executing a global satellite-based plan to disable power grids and extort corrupt governments.
But behind Crosetti’s villainy is a deeper motivation: he’s dying of cancer and wants to leave a legacy for his teenage daughter, Penelope, who has Down syndrome. Having heard how Jeremy cares for Greg, Crosetti entrusts Penelope to him—asking Jeremy to introduce her to Greg’s world, including the Friendship Center, where Greg and his silent, gentle giant best friend Anthony spend their days learning and playing.
When Penelope and Greg meet, a sweet and surprising romance sparks. But as Crosetti’s illness worsens, he grows erratic and paranoid. After losing Trey and Helen, he initiates his final, most dangerous plan: bringing the U.S. power grid to its knees. With time running out and lasers primed to fire from Crosetti’s orbiting satellites, Trey Jane, and Jeremy need to hit the kill button to stop it. Heading to the room with the button, they notice that Penelope, Greg, and Anthony made their way into the lair to see Crosetti and are in danger.
In the climax, it’s Anthony—silent but brave—who steps up. Locking himself in the control room, he presses the right button, and averts disaster, saving millions from a future in the dark.
One year later, the group is at the opening of a new modern Friendship Center. Jeremy and Jane are together, as are Penelope and Greg. Helen asks Jeremy how he’s doing. He looks around at Jane, someone to love. The Friendship Center, something to do. Trey, standing in front of plans to build more centers around the world, something to look forward to. Jeremy finally realizes he’s happy.