American naval officer Annibal Ramirez (Aidan Quinn) bears an uncanny resemblance to the infamous terrorist Carlos ' The Jackal'. CIA spy Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland) & his Israeli counterpart Amos (Ben Kingsley) hatch a plan to lure Carlos into a trap, using his doppelganger as bait. However, Annibal must first adopt The Jackal's ruthless disposition, a transformation that risks robbing him of his humanity.