Rio de Janeiro, 1997. Nascimento (Wagner Moura), captain of Rio de Janeiro Police Elite Squad, is designated to lead one of the teams responsible for bringing the peace to the Turano slum for a reason considered by him absurd. However, while looking for a replacement he will have to follow the orders. His wife, Rosane (Maria Ribeiro), is at the end of her first-child pregnancy and asks him everyday to leave the squad front line. Under a huge pressure, the captain feels the stress effects. In that temper, he is called for another emergency at a slum. In the middle of a gunshot at a funk party, Nascimento and his team have to rescue two rookie officers from the regular force: Neto (Caio Junqueira) and Matias (André Ramiro). Anxious to fight the war and impressed with the efficiency of their saviors, they apply for the Elite Squad training camp. Their reputation for being honest and energetic young men has spread throughout the Squad. They have been admitted to the Squad’s training camp, lead by Nascimento. The first one stands out for his courage, the second, for his intelligence. If only he could gather those two qualities in a single man he would have already found his replacement.