British interviewer and television host David Frost (Michael Sheen) conducts several interviews with President Nixon (Frank Langella) in the 1970s. When the fourth interview is conducted, the Watergate scandal is occurring. Nixon’s staff member Jack Brennan (Kevin Bacon) tries to keep things from breaking down completely. In the meantime, Nixon gets Swifty Lazar (Toby Jones), an agent, to procure big money in exchange for giving the interviews. Frost also obtains money so he can hire reporters Reston (Sam Rockwell) and Zelnick (Oliver Platt) to do some research for him. Reston wants Nixon to admit to wrongdoing. Nixon starts out jubilant and ends up in disgrace.