The film begins in 1815, with Edmond Dantès (Jim Caviezel), a kind-hearted and honest young sailor, serving as the first mate on the merchant ship Pharaon. He is deeply in love with his fiancée, Mercédès (Dagmara Domińczyk), and has a promising future ahead of him. However, Edmond’s life takes a tragic turn when he is falsely accused of treason by his best friend, Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce), who secretly covets Mercédès, and by the scheming prosecutor, Gérard de Villefort (James Frain).

Unaware of the conspiracy against him, Edmond is arrested on the day of his engagement and sent without trial to the Château d’If, an infamous island prison. There, he spends years in brutal isolation, plagued by despair and the betrayal of those he trusted. During his imprisonment, Edmond meets Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), a fellow prisoner who becomes his mentor. Faria educates Edmond in a wide range of subjects, including history, languages, and swordsmanship, and reveals the existence of a vast hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo.

After 13 years, Faria dies, but not before helping Edmond plan a daring escape. Edmond successfully breaks out of the Château d’If by swapping himself with Faria’s dead body, which is thrown into the sea. He is rescued by a group of smugglers, among whom he proves his worth and earns their respect. With the knowledge and skills he gained from Faria, Edmond finds the treasure of Monte Cristo, transforming himself into the wealthy and enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo.

Now armed with immense wealth and a new identity, Edmond returns to France with a single-minded purpose: to exact revenge on those who betrayed him. As the Count, he enters the highest circles of Parisian society, where he systematically dismantles the lives of Fernand, Villefort, and others who wronged him. His revenge is meticulous, as he exposes their crimes and hypocrisies, leading them to ruin and disgrace.