The film is set in the year 2033 in a dystopian view of the future, in the Mexico City which by that time has been renamed Villaparaiso (Paradise City). The totalitarian militaristic/corporate government has outlawed the freedom of expression and religion in general. The government maintains control through pharmaceutical additions to the food and drink supply, which at the same time includes toxic chemicals.

After being kidnapped by two criminals during birth, Chappie becomes the adopted son in a strange and dysfunctional family. Chappie is preternaturally gifted, one of a kind, a prodigy. He also happens to be a robot.

Set in a near-future, militarized world marked by closed borders, virtual labor and a global digital network that joins minds and experiences, three strangers risk their lives to connect with each other and break the barriers of technology.