On October 14, 1962, intelligence gathered from photos taken by a U-2 spy plane flying over Cuba triggered an unprecedented crisis between the world's two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. U.S. intelligence officials discovered in these materials that the Soviet Union was building bases near San Cristóbal, southwest of Havana, less than 150 kilometers from Florida, deploying medium- and short-range missiles and Il-28 heavy bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. These missiles were powerful enough to destroy major U.S. cities and cause massive casualties. The entire nation was thrown into panic, pushing the world to the brink of nuclear disaster. President John F. Kennedy (played by Bruce Greenwood) and his brother Robert F. Kennedy (played by Steven Culp) calmly navigated this imminent nuclear crisis. The film, through the eyes of White House senior special assistant Kenneth O'Donnell (played by Kevin Costner), recreates the tense and critical Thirteen Days.
