In October 1973, Mossad receives intelligence implying that Egypt and Syria are preparing to commence a military campaign against Israel, which it promptly relays to the Israeli prime minister, Golda Meir.

On 6 October, the day of Yom Kippur, Golda's inner circle informs her that Egypt has amassed a large force opposite the Suez Canal, concluding that hostilities would begin by sundown.

Although realizing her tardiness in adequately preparing, Golda refuses to make a pre-emptive move, instead ordering a partial mobilization to face the threat; nevertheless, the attack commences early, which surprises her.

Between 7–8 October, with Egypt and Syria making gains into Israel, IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. David Elazar proposes to relieve Israeli fortifications in the Sinai Peninsula using the 162nd Division led by Maj. Gen. Avraham Adan.

However, with a shortage of planes, the IAF is unable to proceed; in response, Golda requests U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger to provide surplus jets, which he reluctantly agrees to.

The film's monologue informs that the commission cleared Golda of any wrongdoing and that she lived to see the signing of the Camp David Accords, the first formal measures of peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

[4] In November 2021, Camille Cottin, Rami Heuberger, Lior Ashkenazi, Ellie Piercy, Ed Stoppard, Rotem Keinan, Dvir Benedek, Dominic Mafham, Ben Caplan, Kit Rakusen and Emma Davies joined the cast.

[9] In January 2022, British actress Maureen Lipman and others criticized the casting choice on account of Mirren not being Jewish, stating: "I'm sure she will be marvelous, but it would never be allowed for Ben Kingsley to play Nelson Mandela.

The website's consensus reads: "Helen Mirren is typically masterful in the title role, but Golda never amounts to much more than a passable history lesson presented in largely underwhelming biopic form.

[25][26] A The New York Times review by Amy Nicholson concluded that against the backdrop of a surprise attack on Israel, the script, by Nicholas Martin, focuses on the haunting body count rather than the righteousness of the conflict, where one is “left with a sense that the stress of those thousands of lives cut short may have killed her (Golda) too.”[27]