K-19: The Widowmaker is the story of USSR's first nuclear ballistic submarine, which suffers a malfunction in its nuclear reactor on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic in 1961. The submarine's crew races against time to prevent a nuclear disaster which threatens not only the lives of the crew, but has the potential to start the next world war between the super powers. Captain Alexi Vostrikov and Captain Mikhail Polenin attempt to repair the reactor as best they can with their men with what unfit equipment they have. This incident was then kept quiet by the Russian authorities with the Captain and his men not being recognised for their heroic efforts to save the submarine.