There was only one government-approved drug for AIDS in 1985, but it failed to work for Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), so the Dallas man sought out alternative treatments. With the help of his doctor (Jennifer Garner) and a fellow patient (Jared Leto), Woodroof began smuggling and supplying anti-viral medications to a growing number of people – until the FDA and pharmaceutical interests caught wind of his work. Gaunt and intense, McConaughey and Leto deliver career-best performances as unlikely warriors against a toxic tide of disease, greed and bureaucracy.