Set during the seizure of the throne by Sejo of Joseon in the year 1455, the movie follows the life of Nae-Kyung. Nae-Kyung (Song Kang-Ho) hails from a ruined noble family. He travels around Joseon and studies physiognomy. He is able to asses a person's personality, mental state, habits and, consequently, their future, by just studying their face. He lives in seclusion with his son Jin-Hyeong (Lee Jong-Suk) and brother-in-law Paeng-Hun (Cho Jung-Seok). Nae-Kyung hopes to one day become a public officer, even though it is virtually impossible due to his family's failed background.