Oliver Stone directs this biographical thriller centred on the exploits of infamous whistleblower Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Snowden leaks top-secret National Security Agency information to the media, revealing to the public and even to the United States Congress the unprecedented extent of the NSA's illegal surveillance of U.S citizens. In the wake of these revelations, Snowden gains asylum in Russia with his girlfriend Lindsay (Shailene Woodley) and his story is told by journalists Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto), Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) and Ewen MacAskill (Tom Wilkinson).