Control

The films starts in 1974 where 17 year old Ian Curtis is living in a tower block of flats in Macclesfield with his parents and his sister while he is at 6th form and working part time in a record store. It is here where he meets Debbie Woodruff who is dating his best friend Kevin. Here Debbie finds out that Ian is into poetry and writes poems. After school one day Ian and Kevin visit an elderly persons house where they obtain some prescribed drugs. Both high, they visit Debbie where Ian recites poetry and they realise they are fond of each other. They then attend a David Bowie concert and go for a walk in the fields where Ian proposes and Debbie accepts. They are married and move to their house on Barton Street, Macclesfield where married life does not appear to be going well as Ian locks himself in a room writing poetry as Debbie decorates the house (this trend continues throughout the film, especially when Debbie is going to bed and asks Ian to join her).

The film then follows Ian and Debbie attending a Sex Pistols gig in 1976 where he meets Stiff Kittens band members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Terry Mason. All 3 members criticise their lead singer which leads Ian to approach the band at the end of the concert to suggest he becomes the lead vocalist. This then leads the band to become Warsaw and recruit Stephen Morris on drums with Mason taking over managerial duties. The band eventually plays their first gig (although they are extremely nervous).

At this time Ian is working as a civil servant in Macclesfield and is given the opportunity to record a demo of the band to perform. This results in Ian and Debbie paying £400 to have the demo recorded but now under the new name Joy Division. The demo EP was recorded (entitled "an Ideal for Living") and sent to local music mogul Tony Wilson. As the band watch television round Ian's house, they notice Tony give a less than impressive mention of the EP in his show. This leaves the band angry and upset. However Joy Division then attend a battle of the bands event at a bar where they impress everyone including Wilson and DJ Rob Gretton who offers his services to manage the band and thinks he can do a great job as he knows all the big music names in this area.

Tony Wilson then agrees to let the band perform on their TV show (as long as they don't swear or he will cut them off). The band perform Transmission with Ian's parents, sister and wife watching at home. This performance then leads to Tony signing the band - signing the contract in his own blood.

The band then start to tour with Ian starting to neglect his now pregnant wife. Ian also keeps his job as a civil servant but as he's interviewing a job seeker, she has an epileptic fit (which she later dies from), this leads him to write the lyrics for "She's Lost Control". Shortly after this, Ian suffers a similar fit whilst travelling from a gig. Whilst in the hospital it is revealed that he has epilepsy which means he has to take medication that makes him drowsy and moody. The Doctor also recommends to Ian that he gets plenty of early nights (something which Ian ignores). Due to the medication and the late nights, Ian is becoming extremely tired at work and after a chat with his supervisor (who advises him he cannot do both at the same time) he decides to resign from his role (despite a more steady income) and follow his dreams of becoming a successful musician. During this time, Debbie gives birth to a baby girl called Natalie and is forced to take up work to make up the wages Ian has lost with his resignation.

Joy Division then travel to London for a gig where the ban meets Annik Honore, who wishes to interview the band for a Belgian music fanzine. After the rest of the band fall asleep Ian and Annik talk and Ian admits that he has been trying to leave his home town for a while and that his marriage was a mistake. The band then travel to France to do a tour where Ian and Annik start an affair. Debbie is initially unaware of the affair but becomes suspicious when Ian admits he's unsure if he loves Debbie anymore. Whilst Ian is shooting the video for Love Will Tear Us Apart Debbie searches through the house for clues as to whether Ian is having an affair. She finds Annik's telephone number and calls her. Annik confesses all. Debbie confronts Ian who vows to break up the affair (which he doesn't do). It is at this point that Rob informs the band that they will be touring America.

During a gig Ian has another epileptic fit. He is carried off stage and is comforted by Annik. With the pressure of his family, his affair the band and his epilepsy, Ian takes an overdose and collapses in his house. Before his collapse he writes a letter to Debbie saying that he loves Annik. Ian is then rushed to hospital and released a few day later. Joy Division are then due to perform a concert and Bury's "Derby Hall" where Ian is clearly unwell and walks off stage. Rob Gretton asks then lead of the support group (Alan Hempsall of Crispy Ambulance) to cover. Hempsall agrees, but this leads to a riot on stage. After the riot Ian says to Tony that he feels everyone hates him and it's all his own fault.

Having left the marital home Ian is forced to stay at various people's homes. Initially he stays at Rob's (with Annik in tow). Rob informs Debbie of Ian's whereabouts and Debbie tells Rob to let Ian know she wants a divorce). He then stays at Bernard's who tries hypnotherapy on Ian to see if this helps his thinking. Eventually he returns to his parents home and agrees to stay there until the American tour.

Two nights before the tour he decides to return home to talk to Debbie. He arrives home and watches Stroszek on television before Debbie arrives home. He begs Debbie to take him back and argues that his affair with Annik is an unrelated matter. Debbie brushes it off and then Ian orders her out of the house until the following day where he will be gone. Alone in the house, Ian drinks large glasses of whiskey and plays Iggy Pop's The Idiot whilst writing a letter to Debbie. As he places it on the mantelpiece he has another epileptic, collapses and become unconscious. He regains consciousness early the following morning. He then walks into the kitchen where he sees the clothesline. He decides to end his misery once and for all and to take his own life by hanging himself.

Later that day Debbie returns home and walks into the house. She then discovers Ian's body hung in the kitchen and runs out of the house hysterically, holding Natalie as she cries "can someone help me". As Atmosphere plays we see Rob Gretton, the remaining members of Joy Division and Stephen's girlfriend Gillian Gilbert in a pub staring silently, Tony Wilson and his wife Lindsay console Annik at a train station and church bells ring with smoke rising to the air with the message "Ian Kevin Curtis died 18th May 1980, he was 23 years old" appearing on the screen. The screen then fades to black with Atmosphere still playing.