Plot summary

Dallas 1985. Ron Woodroof, a sexually reckless electrician and rodeo cowboy, is shocked to discover he has 30 days to live. Diagnosed as HIV positive, Ron refuses to accept the harsh truth of his inevitable mortality and plucks up the courage to cross the border into Mexico in search of alternative treatment. As a result, Ron smuggles non-FDA-approved drugs and supplements into the United States, challenging the medical community, including his physician, Dr Eve Saks. Seeking to find a workaround and avoid government sanctions against him, Woodroof soon joins forces with unlikely ally Rayon, a fellow transgender patient sharing the same lust for life. Together, they establish a "buyers club". There, HIV-positive people can have access to unapproved pharmaceutical remedies for a monthly fee. As Ron and Rayon's community expands, Woodroof's Dallas Buyers Club aims to raise awareness and fight intolerance. Ron also fights for dignity and the right to live.—Nick Riganas