It tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches. The film from director Edward Berger is based on the world-renowned bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque.

First Sgt. Charles Monroe King keeps a journal for his newborn son while stationed overseas. His wife, the senior editor for the New York Times, relates the story of their relationship to their son as he grows up.