The film begins in year 2009, when there is a huge explosion on the surface of the sun. We then see Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an American scientist, traveling to a copper mine in India to meet his friend, who discovered that Earth's temperature is increasing rapidly. He returns to Washington D.C. and submits a report to his supervisor, who immediately takes him to the president. In 2010, we see the President of the United States tell other heads of state the situation (the world is ending) and we also see billionaires all over the world buying plane tickets for untold sums of money. In 2011 the original of The Mona Lisa in the Louvre is replaced with a decoy, and is sealed away for unknown reasons.

The story jumps ahead to 2012. Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a divorced father who works as a limousine driver and writer, and his ex-wife, Kate Curtis (Amanda Peet), and children, Noah (Liam James) and Lily (Morgan Lily), who live with Kate's new boyfriend, Gordon (Thomas McCarthy). Jackson takes his children on a camping trip to Yellowstone, where he meets Charlie Frost, who hosts a radio segment that addresses the Mayans' prediction. Charlie mentions a map of where special ships are, but Jackson assumes he is a rambling drunk and leaves him. Kate and Gordon and in a super market buying groceries when the floor begins to crack and the supermarket is split in half. Jackson gets a call that he has to return from camping with the kids. Jackson arrives at the house and drops the kids off, and takes his limo to a job. He goes to the house of Russian billionaire Yuri Karpov. Jackson takes yuri, his children and his girlfriend to the airport. The children make cruel comments to Jackson, and as they board the plane, they mention they have tickets to board the ships and Jackson doesnt. This leads Jackson to believe Charlies story, and he rents a plane. Jackson hurrys to Kates house and picks up her, the kids, and Gordon as the house collapses and a massive earthquake begins. They drive through L.A while it is being destroyed and arrive just in time at the airport. Gordon flys the plane out of L.A, and from the sky, we see L.A being sunken into the pacific ocean. Jackson announces they have to get to Yellow stone to get the map from Charlie. They fly there and Jackson goes looking for Charlie. He finds his R.V and takes it out looking for Charlie, he finds him at the top of a hill waiting for the impact. Charlie tells Jackson where the map is and he rushes back to the R.V as a massive explosion goes off, hurtling rocks in every direction. Jackson gets to the plane and they take off for china.