- Three courageous young Americans prevent a terrorist attack on a train bound for Paris.
- In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris, an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans travelling through Europe. This movie follows the course of the friends' lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. Throughout the harrowing ordeal, their friendship never wavers, making it their greatest weapon and allowing them to save the lives of the more than five hundred passengers on-board.
- Spencer (Spencer Stone) and Alek (Alek Skarlatos) are attending a suburban Christian middle school. They bond over their interest in guns, and are often sent to the principal's office for disciplinary action. Once, while sent to the principal's office, they meet another student, who often misbehaves in school, Anthony (Anthony Sadler), and the three become friends. Spencer and Alek are from single mother homes, and their mothers often stick up for them when called to the principal's office regarding their misconduct. While working part-time at a smoothie shop, Spencer waits on a recruiter for the United States Marine Corps.
- The real-life story of three men whose brave act turned them into heroes during a highspeed railway ride. In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train No. 9364 bound for Paris - an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe.
- In 2005, in Sacramento, the eight-year-old boys Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Spencer Stone are best friends. Alek and Spencer have always liked the military life and ten years later, Alek is in Afghanistan and Spencer is training in Portugal. In his Military Leave, Spencer invites Anthony to meet him and travel through Europe to meet Alek in Germany. Anthony accepts the offer and they go to Rome first and then to Germany. However, they change their schedule to visit Amsterdam before Paris. They drink a lot and they take the 15:17 h train to Paris. Along their journey, an armed terrorist attacks the train. What will the trio of friends do?—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos are attending a suburban private Christian high school. They bond over their interest in guns, and are often sent to the principal's office for disciplinary action. Once, while sent to the principal's office, they meet another student, who often misbehaves in school, Anthony Sadler, and the three become friends. Spencer and Alek are from single mother homes, and their mothers often stick up for them when called to the principal's office, regarding their misconduct. They boys are always interested in military drills & strategy plays, but keep getting into trouble at school over poor grades and deviant behavior.
While working part-time at a local smoothie shop, Spencer is greeted by a Marine recruiter. He asks the recruiter what military branch he would select if he could go back and change. The recruiter replies that the Air Force para-rescue save lives and "seem to being doing fine work in the field". Spencer is intrigued by the recruitment speeches and decides to start working out to lose some extra weight he carries on his husky frame. After several months of rigorous training and exercise, he loses some weight and gets into much better physical shape. He enlists in the Air Force in hopes of becoming a Pararescueman.
Upon completing basic training, Spencer takes his exams to qualify for para-rescue school. But, owing to having poor depth perception, he is turned down. Upset, he chooses from the other Air Force options left to him, and is soon stationed abroad. It is shown that in crisis situations, he is not afraid to step up and think differently to how he has been trained to respond in a given situation. His friend, Alek, enlisted in the Army, and has been deployed to the Middle East. On Skype, Alek tells him that he is planning to visit his girlfriend in Germany, and the two decide to rendezvous there for their next leave. Spencer Skype calls Anthony, now a college student, and talks him into coming to Europe for a vacation. After meeting in Germany, the three decide to go to Amsterdam. After a few days, they finally decide that it's time to visit France. They depart from Amsterdam Centraal station on the 15:17 train to Paris.
On the train, all seems well, until American-born Frenchman Mark Moogalian notices that one of the toilets has been occupied for an unusually long time. When Moogalian goes to investigate, a terrorist bursts out with an assault rifle. Another passenger, Damien A., grabs the terrorist by the neck and Moogalian manages to wrest the assault rifle from the terrorist but is then shot in the back with a 9mm pistol. Passengers begin to flee out of their seats and rush toward the forward cabins of the train, trying to escape.
Using a pistol, the terrorist shoots the passenger who took his rifle. Eventually, the terrorist approaches the next car, where Spencer and his friends are sitting. The moment Spencer sees him, he springs into action. He decides that his only hope, and the only hope of the remaining passengers, is for him to try to defeat the terrorist. Spencer makes a desperate all-out sprint toward the terrorist in the hope of subduing him before being shot. By remarkable luck, the terrorist's weapon jams just as he is about to fire, and he is tackled by Spencer, who successfully disarms the terrorist of his weapon. Seeing Spencer's progress in subduing the terrorist, Alek, Anthony, and other passengers join the effort to try to further overwhelm the terrorist, finally knocking him out.
Spencer Stone then stanches the bleeding by plugging the exit wound in Moogalian's neck with his fingers. The police at the next station enter the train fully armed, discovering that Spencer has subdued the terrorist, and they begin to treat his wounds, and the more serious ones of the shot passenger. Paramedics take Moogalian to the emergency room at a local hospital and he survives.
In a formal ceremony, Spencer, Alek and Anthony are recognized as heroes of the French Republic for their gallantry and bravery. The terrorist was later discovered to have been armed with over 300 rounds of ammunition with the apparent aim of using all of it to wreak havoc on all those who boarded the train. The odds of the particular misfire and jam of the cartridge in the terrorist's weapon was estimated on the scene as being over a thousand-to-one, and highly unlikely to have been in Spencer's favor. French officials at the ceremony to honor Spencer's selfless act acknowledge his bravery and he is awarded the French Legion of Honour in recognition of his act of courage. On September 22, 2015, Mark Moogalian was awarded the Legion of Honor by President François Hollande for his actions on the train.
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