In the ambitious and monumental task of creating the Oxford English Dictionary, two brilliant but profoundly damaged men form an unlikely alliance that will change the English language forever. Mel Gibson stars as Professor James Murray, the driven and passionate editor who spearheads the decades-long project, while Sean Penn delivers a haunting performance as Dr. William Chester Minor, a Civil War veteran confined to an asylum for the criminally insane after a tragic act of violence. As Murray struggles against academic skepticism and the sheer scale of the endeavor, he discovers that Minor, from his cell, has become one of the dictionary's most prolific contributors by submitting thousands of meticulously researched definitions. This gripping biographical drama, directed by Farhad Safinia, explores the complex and poignant relationship between these two men, delving into themes of guilt, redemption, and the power of words to both wound and heal. The film weaves a tense and atmospheric mystery around the shadows of Minor's past and the profound consequences of his connection to the widow, played by Natalie Dormer, of the man he killed.