V for Vendetta movie begins with a flashback scene showing Guy Fawkes (Clive Ashborn) attempting a coup against what he perceived as a tyrannical government. He planned to blow up the British Parliament building, the House of Lords, on November 5, 1605. Unfortunately, the action, later known as the “Gunpowder Plot”, failed as it was discovered by security forces. Fawkes was subsequently captured and sentenced to hanging on January 31, 1606. Following this, V for Vendetta transitions back to the present day, where a person is seen sitting and donning a Guy Fawkes mask. This individual is the main character of the film, V, portrayed by actor Hugo Weaving.
In another location, Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) is shown walking on the street on the night of November 4. Due to a curfew in effect, she is apprehended by three members of the Fingermen, a secret police unit in London led by Peter Creedy (Tim Pigot-Smith). These Fingermen attempt to sexually assault Evey instead of taking her to the police station for detention. Fortunately, V arrives just in time and defeats the three corrupt officers. V then invites Evey to witness a grand musical and fireworks display that he has planned. This performance turns out to be the bombing of Old Bailey, a courthouse in London that has stood since 1902.
The bombing of Old Bailey enrages High Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt), the most powerful figure at the time. He orders police inspector Eric Finch (Stephen Rea) to investigate the mastermind behind the incident. The next day at the BTN television media office, Evey is shown working there. The police are now pursuing her, as she was seen with V on the night of the Old Bailey bombing. Amid the chaos of everyone watching the news about the bombing, V suddenly hijacks BTN’s broadcast to declare himself responsible for the attack. During this live broadcast, V uses the opportunity to campaign for his revolutionary movement.
V calls on the people of England to rise against the authoritarian Norsefire government. He invites everyone to gather in front of the House of Lords on the following November 5 to commemorate Guy Fawkes Night. The police attempt to capture V at the BTN office. However, Evey, who is also being pursued, helps V escape, even though she faints after being struck by Finch. Evey later wakes up in an unfamiliar place, realizing she is now at V’s home. Since she has become a fugitive, V offers Evey the option to stay at his house until November 5 of the following year, when he plans to complete his ultimate mission of overthrowing Sutler’s authoritarian government.
Not long after, V goes on to kill Lewis Prothero (Roger Allam), the head of the government’s propaganda division who also works at BTN. V successfully infiltrates BTN and murders Prothero using Evey’s identification card without her knowledge. V then tells Evey about his plan to eliminate Anthony Lilliman (John Standing), a corrupt bishop and a government lackey. Evey offers to assist V by disguising herself as a girl meant to satisfy the bishop’s depraved desires. For context, Bishop Lilliman is not only corrupt and a servant of the authoritarian government but also a pedophile. Unfortunately, Evey uses this opportunity to escape from V, though the mission to assassinate Lilliman ultimately succeeds.
Evey then takes refuge at the home of Gordon Deitrich (Stephen Fry), her boss at BTN and a talk show host. Deitrich promises to hide Evey and protect her connection to V. He then shows her some of his possessions, including classic paintings, an antique Quran, and homoerotic photographs. Deitrich is a closeted gay man who has not revealed his sexual orientation publicly. Evey questions whether Deitrich is secretly a Muslim. Under Sutler’s regime, Muslims are deemed “undesirables,” political adversaries who are sent to concentration camps like Larkhill Detention Centre, along with African, Asian, Jewish immigrants, and LGBTQ individuals.
Meanwhile, at a hospital forensic lab, Inspector Finch meets a pathologist named Dr. Delia Surridge (Sinéad Cusack). Finch had earlier discovered that V always leaves a rare red rose with his victims. Dr. Surridge appears to recognize the rare flower. While Finch is speaking with Dr. Surridge, his subordinate informs him that V has been targeting all former staff members of Larkhill Detention Centre. Nearly all of them have been killed, except for one whose whereabouts remain unknown: Dr. Diana Stanton. After Finch leaves, it is revealed that Dr. Diana Stanton and Dr. Delia Surridge are the same person.
Later, V visits Dr. Surridge while she is asleep in her bedroom. V reminisces with the doctor who had once conducted experiments on him and other “undesirables.” Seeing Dr. Surridge’s deep remorse for her past actions, V chooses to kill her gently, ensuring she does not suffer. It is then revealed that several decades earlier, the United States was torn apart by a second civil war, leading to the nation’s collapse. Around the same time, Europe was devastated by the St. Mary’s virus pandemic. The Norsefire Party, led by Adam Sutler, subsequently declared England a bastion of white European supremacy after successfully containing the St. Mary’s virus outbreak.
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Inspector Finch, while investigating V’s true identity, uncovers many suspicious details about past events, particularly regarding the St. Mary’s virus pandemic. Finch discovers that the St. Mary’s virus was a biological weapon experiment created by the government at the time. The virus was intended to eliminate the government’s political enemies, who had been rounded up and detained at Larkhill Detention Centre. Finch also learns that V is one of the survivors of the St. Mary’s virus biological weapon experiments. This revelation gradually shakes Finch’s faith in the current government. Nonetheless, Finch continues to carry out his duties as a government police inspector.
The scene then shifts to a BTN broadcast featuring a satirical comedy program mocking the government. The program is conceptualized by Deitrich, who also serves as its host. Police raid Deitrich’s house to arrest him. Evey tries to escape through a window but is ultimately captured. While in detention, Evey is tortured and shaved bald, and she is pressured to reveal V’s whereabouts. Despite enduring days of torture, Evey remains silent. During her imprisonment, Evey finds a journal that becomes her source of solace. The journal belongs to Valerie Page (Natasha Wightman), a woman who was tortured and killed for being a lesbian.
On the final day when she is given a chance to reveal V’s location, Evey chooses death over betrayal. Strangely, this decision results in her being released from her cell. Upon leaving the cell, Evey realizes that she has been held in V’s home all along. V explains to Evey that he orchestrated the experience to free her from her fears. He also informs her that Deitrich has been executed for owning a Quran in his house. Meanwhile, Valerie’s journal, which Evey had read, is the original copy that V also found during his time in captivity. Evey finally understands that she is no longer paralyzed by fear. She tells V that it is time for her to leave but promises to meet him again before November 5.
Meanwhile, Inspector Finch, still pursuing V’s true identity, visits the biological weapons facility at Larkhill Detention Centre. Now a memorial for the victims of the St. Mary’s virus, Finch meets a former secret agent named William Rockwood. Rockwood explains to Finch the biological weapons program conducted at Larkhill 14 years earlier. At that time, Sutler was serving as Secretary of Defense and initiated a secret project at Larkhill to develop the St. Mary’s virus. Creedy, who was the leader of the Norsefire Party, suggested releasing the virus on the British populace instead of their enemies.
The virus resulted in the deaths of approximately 80,000 people. Terrorist organizations were then scapegoated as the perpetrators of the St. Mary’s virus pandemic. The Norsefire Party exploited the chaos to elevate Adam Sutler to High Chancellor, which ultimately secured Norsefire’s dominance in Parliament. They took control of the state and profited by selling vaccines for the St. Mary’s virus. Before parting, Rockwood advises Finch to keep a close eye on Creedy over the next 24 hours. At Creedy’s location, V confronts him to propose a deal: V asks Creedy to deliver Sutler to him in exchange for V surrendering himself.
Finch later uncovers the shocking truth that Rockwood was actually V in disguise, wearing a mask. Although this revelation enrages him, Finch finds V’s claims credible. This further deepens Finch’s distrust of the government he has served for years. The scene shifts to a closed government meeting, where Sutler is shown angrily reprimanding his officials over their failure to capture V. Creedy, feeling consistently blamed by Sutler, begins to consider betraying him by accepting V’s earlier proposal. As November 5 approaches, V distributes thousands of Guy Fawkes masks throughout the city. The public, now increasingly disillusioned with the government, begins to grow restless.
Masses were enraged following the fatal shooting of a girl wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. On the night of November 5th, Evey kept her promise from some time ago by visiting V. V then showed her a train filled with explosives on an abandoned London Underground track. The train was prepared to destroy the British Parliament building in the next few hours. V did not force Evey to carry out the bombing; he left the decision entirely up to her. Meanwhile, Adam Sutler made a televised statement urging his people to remain obedient to the government. Unfortunately, not a single citizen watched it.
V then went to meet Creedy and his forces, who had taken Sutler hostage as per V’s proposition. After V placed his rare rose on Sutler’s clothing, Creedy executed his party comrade. According to their agreement, V was supposed to surrender and reveal his identity. However, V reneged on the deal by killing Creedy and his men. Although V wore body armor while fighting Creedy’s forces, he was gravely injured, riddled with dozens of bullets. V returned to Evey, who was waiting for him right in front of the bomb-laden train. Sadly, V succumbed to his gunshot wounds and died in Evey’s arms.
Evey placed V’s body on the train and prepared to pull the lever to set it in motion when Finch suddenly arrived. Disillusioned with the oppressive Norsefire regime, Finch allowed Evey to proceed. Meanwhile, thousands of citizens wearing Guy Fawkes masks marched toward the House of Lords. Military forces stood down, letting the masked crowd enter the Parliament grounds, as no orders to stop them were given. Ultimately, the House of Lords was destroyed—a feat that Guy Fawkes failed to achieve four centuries ago. As the Parliament building lay in ruins, Finch asked Evey to reveal V’s true identity. Rather than providing a definitive answer to ease Finch’s mind, Evey simply replied that V represents all of us.
