Leon Trotsky and his wife Natalia Sedova have fled Joseph Stalin's reign of terror in 1930s Russia. As fugitives, they arrive in Mexico under the protection of the country's most famous artistic couple, Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera. As Trotsky barely escapes attempts on his life, he and Kahlo fall under the spell of a tempestuous infatuation. They commence their affair under the noses of their spouses. Intellectually astute but emotionally driven, all their lives spin beyond reason toward the inevitable assassination of Trotsky.