Summary
Highlights
Benjamin describes himself as an invisible "nobody" who always dreamed of being a superhero. He recounts his difficult childhood, losing his mother and being raised by his grandmother, who later develops Alzheimer's. He finds solace and a sense of power in hacking, which he considers a form of magic, allowing him to be someone in the digital world that he isn't in the real world.
Benjamin explains his early fascination with computers and programming, finding a community in the 'dark web.' He idolizes a hacker named MX, who operates under three rules: 'no system is secure,' 'aim for the impossible,' and 'have fun.' Benjamin's first significant hack is to help Mari, a girl he's infatuated with, by stealing exam answers, though this leads to community service rather than romance.
While doing community service, Benjamin meets Max, a charismatic and confident hacker. Max introduces Benjamin to Stephan, a software expert, and Paul, a hardware specialist. Together, they form the hacking group CLAY, adopting clown masks as their symbol and using MX's rules as their philosophy. Their first act is to humiliate a far-right political group by changing their campaign video to a comedic one during a live presentation.
CLAY quickly gains popularity with a series of high-profile hacks, including disrupting the financial market and exposing animal cruelty by a pharmaceutical company. Their actions attract the attention of Europol, particularly investigator Hanne Lindberg, who is tracking a Russian cyber mafia known as "FR1ENDS." Benjamin reconnects with Mari, who advises him to be more direct and visible.
Max, frustrated by MX's lack of acknowledgment, proposes their biggest hack yet: targeting the Federal Intelligence Service. Using social engineering, they gain access. Benjamin secretly downloads encrypted data. The successful hack brings CLAY immense fame, but also disastrous consequences. A hacker known as Krypton is found dead, and the stolen data implicates him as an informant for federal intelligence working against FR1ENDS. CLAY is falsely accused of the murder and linked to the Russian cyber mafia.
Benjamin reveals that he gave the downloaded data to MX, hoping for recognition. The other CLAY members realize that MX is part of FR1ENDS and that their actions led to Krypton's death. They decide to use Benjamin to find MX, planning to expose him to clear their names. Benjamin's attempts to connect with Mari amidst the chaos are met with rejection.
CLAY devises a plan to plant a Trojan in Europol's system, expecting MX to use it and reveal his identity. Benjamin, utilizing social engineering, infiltrates Europol's headquarters. He successfully installs the Trojan. However, MX detects their trap. It is revealed that Max, Stephan, and Paul are not real; they are dissociative identities of Benjamin, a trait inherited from his mother. The entire CLAY narrative, including the attacks and the interactions with the other members, was a product of Benjamin's mind.
Benjamin, now alone, is interrogated by Hanne Lindberg. She receives information that confirms Benjamin's mother suffered from dissociative identity disorder, a hereditary condition that can be triggered by trauma and certain medications like Ritalin, which Benjamin took. Lindberg realizes that Max, Stephan, and Paul were never real people, but rather manifestations of Benjamin's fractured psyche. The bullet casings from his grandfather were also a product of his imagination.
Benjamin, realizing his condition, uses his diagnosis to manipulate Lindberg. By feigning mental illness and claiming helplessness, he secures entry into the witness protection program. In front of a judge, Lindberg verifies Benjamin's story, allowing him to escape prosecution. Benjamin is given a new identity and starts a new life in a different city, having orchestrated the ultimate social engineering trick on Europol and Lindberg. The film ends with Benjamin, now in a new apartment, hearing the voices of Max, Stephan, and Paul, suggesting his identities are still present.