Under the reign of Napoleon, François Vidocq cuts a notorious figure in the Parisian underworld: he is the only man to have escaped the country’s most terrifying penal colonies. Left for dead after his last, spectacular escape, the former prisoner tries to pass himself off as a simple merchant. But his past catches up with him.After being falsely accused of murder, Vidocq makes a deal with the head of the Police: in exchange for his freedom, Vidocq will help the police fight the criminal classes.