Following his 1954 security hearing, which stripped him of his security clearance, Oppenheimer enters a period of deep isolation at Princeton. The film opens with surreal dream sequences blending memories of Jean Tatlock, Hiroshima, and the Trinity test — interwoven with philosophical monologues about guilt and moral responsibility. As the U.S. prepares to develop the hydrogen bomb, Oppenheimer publicly opposes it, putting him at odds with Edward Teller, the scientist becoming the face of this new weapon of mass destruction. With the Cold War intensifying, Oppenheimer becomes a target of McCarthy-era investigations due to past associations with leftist figures. The FBI surveils him, political forces manipulate his public image, and he becomes increasingly ostracized by both government and fellow scientists. The film’s emotional climax is a private meeting between Oppenheimer and President John F. Kennedy, who expresses admiration and posthumously honors him with the Enrico Fermi Award — a symbolic act of reconciliation.