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Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, Dallas Buyers Club is a deeply moving, true-story of an AIDS patient who – against all odds – refused to roll over and admit defeat.

Set in the 1980’s, the story follows Ron Woodruff (McConaughey); a rodeo-loving cowboy, whose love for drugs, alcohol and women is only outshone by his homophobia. A work-related incident lands him – and his obviously deteriorating body – in hospital where he is diagnosed with AIDS, leaving him with only thirty days to live. 

Convinced that it’s only homosexuals who can contract the disease, Ron is outraged and refuses to accept the fact that he’s dying. However, it’s not long before the reality kicks in, after an unsuccessful plea to Dr. Saks (Garner), who cannot provide him with the latest FDA approved AZT-drug treatment.

Driven by the will to live, Ron finds himself in Mexico where he gets his hands on a variety of medication that are unapproved but legal in the U.S. Jumping at the chance of making an extra buck – all the while wanting to offer the same treatment to fellow sufferers – Ron teams up with a compassionate, deeply troubled transgender drifter, Rayon (Leto).Together, they establish Dallas Buyers Club; an illicit, members-only organisation, that  offers an unlimited supply of medication to all those in need.

Shedding an extortionate amount of weight for the role, Matthew McConaughey is almost unrecognisable, and once again proves that he can be a versatile, everyman actor who is able to tackle big issues as much as he tackles rom-coms. His performance is an utterly absorbing representation of a man desperate and determined to fight his inner demons and face his own mortality with dignity.

Meanwhile, Leto shines as the delightfully colourful and sweet-talking Rayong; undergoing his own version of a drastic physical transformation, Leto is equally unidentifiable in a role that marks the end of a five year absence from the silver screen.

Painted with a shady and a dreary colour palette, the film stays true to its 1980s setting throughout, while the cleverly-conceived cinematography serves to add to the tone and story.

Highly emotional and bitter-sweet and, Dallas Buyers Club is not an easy watch but, thanks to a couple of powerhouse performances and a gripping storyline, is a must watch.