More than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the remnants of humanity inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe as class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.
A grisly murder stokes class division on Snowpiercer, the Great Ark Train. Melanie Cavill, the powerful head of hospitality, deputizes a dangerous rebel to help solve the killing -- Andre Layton, the world's only surviving homicide detective.
Layton uses his new position as train detective to investigate the murder while gathering intel for the revolution on the side. Meanwhile, Melanie faces a resource crisis, with potentially drastic consequences for the entire train.
Layton descends into the black market with Till, searching for both the killer and a valuable commodity for his revolution. Melanie stages a prize fight to distract the passengers from mounting class tension.
A shocking twist in the murder investigation brings Layton and Till's manhunt to a cat-and-mouse climax. But Layton is getting too close to Melanie's big secret, which may prove the most dangerous game of all.
Tensions between Third Class and First Class are boiling as Melanie stages the trial of the Snowpiercer killer. Third Class threatens a work stoppage, demanding representation on the jury, and Melanie makes a fateful decision about which side to favor.
On a divided Snowpiercer, Melanie intensifies her search for Layton while Layton is weaponizing her secret. Third Class faces a reckoning when he presents them with a choice.