Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), logical and rational, is a scholar of mythology and magic.
While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Alithea knows better than to mess with his magic (if he’s even real), but the Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past – leading Alithea to make a wish that surprises them both.