"A threat no one dared face. A word no one wanted to speak. A fight for many, fought by few." The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.

With a plan to exact revenge on a mythical shark that killed his partner, oceanographer Steve Zissou (Murray) rallies a crew that includes his estranged wife (Huston), a journalist (Blanchett), and a man who may or may not be his son (Wilson).