Ian Curtis has aspirations beyond the trappings of small town life in 1970s England. Wanting to emulate his musical heroes, he joins a band, and his musical ambition begins to thrive. Soon though, the everyday fears and emotions, fueled by his music, slowly begin to eat away at him. Married young, with a daughter, he is distracted from his family commitments by a new love and the growing expectations of his band, Joy Division. The strain manifests itself in his health. With epilepsy adding to his guilt and desperation, depression takes hold. Surrendering to the weight on his shoulder, Ian's tortured soul consumes him and leads him to commit suicide at the age of 23.