The Wasp Network was a group of Cuban spies who were tasked with infiltrating the violent anti-Castro groups in Florida during the 1980s and 1990s. The film, directed by Olivier Assayas, is based on the book "The Last Soldiers of the Cold War" by Fernando Morais.
The movie follows the story of René González (played by Édgar Ramírez), a Cuban pilot who defects to the United States but later joins the Wasp Network to spy on the anti-Castro groups. He is joined by Gerardo Hernández (played by Gael García Bernal), Ramón Labañino (played by Leonardo Sbaraglia), Antonio Guerrero (played by Wagner Moura), and Fernando González (played by Johnny Depp).
The members of the Wasp Network live double lives in the United States, pretending to be Cuban exiles while reporting back to Havana on the activities of the anti-Castro groups. They also provide information to Cuban authorities that helps them foil a number of attacks on Cuba.
However, the Wasp Network is eventually exposed by the FBI, and the Cuban spies are arrested and put on trial. Five of them are convicted of espionage and murder and sentenced to long or life prison terms.
The film takes a critical look at the United States' policy towards Cuba and the double standards applied to the two countries. It also shines a light on the human cost of the Cold War and the seemingly endless cycle of violence and suffering that it engendered.