The film stars Bryant "HairKutt" Johnson, director Elliott, Maurice Bradley, and Anthony Dorsey as four friends from St. Louis, Missouri, who travel to a remote cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Their plan is to spend a week together to help Hairkutt quit his 15-year addiction to heroin.
Hairkutt longs to end his heroin addiction in order to finally care for his daughter and to realize his dream of running his own hair-cutting business. His friends, particularly Curtis Elliott, want to help him, so they travel to a cabin in Tennessee, cover its carpeting with plastic sheeting, and prepare restraining ropes on one of the beds. Hairkutt will attempt to quit cold turkey.
It is stated that 99% of attempts to quit heroin cold turkey are unsuccessful.
During the first night, Hairkutt experiences severe withdrawal symptoms while his friends remain with him and provide support. Over the following nights, his condition fluctuates as they care for him and challenge him to confront his addiction, leaving uncertain whether he will recover or continue to deteriorate.