The twelve-year-old Miguel dreams of becoming a talented musician as his idol Ernesto de la Cruz, but in the boy's family music and dancing are forbidden. Yet Miguel desperately desires to follow his heart and after a series of mysterious events finds himself in the amazingly beautiful Land of the Dead. A friendly street dog, Dante, Miguel understands that in family history, it's a hidden dark secret, determined to reveal it, an ambitious young man embarks on bizarre and dangerous adventures that will change his life forever.