Hugo Cabret is a boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930s. He is orphaned after his father, a clockmaker, dies in a fire and his alcoholic uncle takes him in, but soon abandons him. Since then, Hugo has been living on his own in the train station, secretly maintaining the station's clocks and automaton, which his father rescued from a museum.
Hugo's life changes when he meets Isabelle, the goddaughter of a toy merchant who owns a shop in the train station. Together, they embark on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton and find out why it is important to Isabelle's godfather, Georges Méliès. They discover that Méliès was a renowned filmmaker who fell into poverty after World War I and was forced to sell his studio, including the automaton, which he invented.
Hugo and Isabelle find the missing part of the automaton and bring it back to life, revealing a hidden message from Hugo's father. They also find out that Méliès is still alive and reunite him with his old films, which are shown to a large audience at the train station. As a result, Méliès regains his fame and recognition, and Hugo finds a new family.
Throughout the film, Martin Scorsese pays homage to the history of cinema, featuring iconic films and filmmakers such as Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. The film was critically acclaimed and won five Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.