Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) lives in an isolated compound which strictly regulates its inhabitants' lives. Residents hope to win a lottery to go to "the Island", the only place on Earth not contaminated by a deadly pathogen. Lincoln tells Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean) of his discontent with the plain white clothes everyone is given and the strict social controls. Concerned about strange dreams Lincoln experiences about a white speedboat and other unfamiliar items, Merrick inserts probes into Lincoln's body to monitor his cerebral activities.
While illicitly visiting a construction site Lincoln discovers a moth in a ventilation shaft, leading him to deduce that the outside is not contaminated. He escapes the compound via the construction site and witnesses two lottery winners being killed, one after giving birth and the other in the process of having his liver harvested. As Lincoln rescues Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), a friend who has just won the lottery, Merrick discovers that Lincoln knows the truth.
Lincoln and Jordan learn that both the deadly pathogen and the Island are myths, and that they are clones of wealthy sponsors who intend to use them for spare parts. Merrick's technology allows clones to be incubated into adulthood. He tells sponsors and the government that the clones do not gain consciousness, but when Merrick hires African mercenary Albert Laurent (Djimon Hounsou) to kill or capture the escapees, he confides that the organs of unconscious clones inevitably fail, making them useless; thus the need for the compound.
The two clones escape to Los Angeles in hopes of finding their sponsors, surviving several attacks from Laurent's mercenaries. Jordan Two's sponsor, famous model Sarah Jordan, cannot help as she is in a coma following a car accident. Lincoln Six's sponsor, Tom Lincoln—the owner of the speedboat in Lincoln's dreams—agrees to help expose the truth about the organ harvesting, but secretly turns against his clone. Lincoln Six tricks Laurent into killing Tom and assumes Tom's identity. Lincoln and Jordan's feelings for each other change from friendship to romance as they plan to liberate their fellow clones.
Posing as Tom, Lincoln Six returns to the compound in order to destroy the holographic projectors that hide the outside world from its residents. With help from Laurent — who has moral qualms with treating the clones as if they are not human — and Jordan, Merrick is killed and the clones are saved. The film ends with Lincoln and Jordan together on the deck of the speedboat.
While illicitly visiting a construction site Lincoln discovers a moth in a ventilation shaft, leading him to deduce that the outside is not contaminated. He escapes the compound via the construction site and witnesses two lottery winners being killed, one after giving birth and the other in the process of having his liver harvested. As Lincoln rescues Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), a friend who has just won the lottery, Merrick discovers that Lincoln knows the truth.
Lincoln and Jordan learn that both the deadly pathogen and the Island are myths, and that they are clones of wealthy sponsors who intend to use them for spare parts. Merrick's technology allows clones to be incubated into adulthood. He tells sponsors and the government that the clones do not gain consciousness, but when Merrick hires African mercenary Albert Laurent (Djimon Hounsou) to kill or capture the escapees, he confides that the organs of unconscious clones inevitably fail, making them useless; thus the need for the compound.
The two clones escape to Los Angeles in hopes of finding their sponsors, surviving several attacks from Laurent's mercenaries. Jordan Two's sponsor, famous model Sarah Jordan, cannot help as she is in a coma following a car accident. Lincoln Six's sponsor, Tom Lincoln—the owner of the speedboat in Lincoln's dreams—agrees to help expose the truth about the organ harvesting, but secretly turns against his clone. Lincoln Six tricks Laurent into killing Tom and assumes Tom's identity. Lincoln and Jordan's feelings for each other change from friendship to romance as they plan to liberate their fellow clones.
Posing as Tom, Lincoln Six returns to the compound in order to destroy the holographic projectors that hide the outside world from its residents. With help from Laurent — who has moral qualms with treating the clones as if they are not human — and Jordan, Merrick is killed and the clones are saved. The film ends with Lincoln and Jordan together on the deck of the speedboat.
