Recovering alcoholic Chuck opens a storefront rehabilitation program in 1958, offering addicts a space for emotional catharsis. It grows into a nationwide movement, with thousands claiming it saved their lives.
Synanon transforms into a communal society with its own farm, school and businesses. Chuck establishes "The Synanon Religion" to maintain tax-exempt status. He enforces extreme rules like head shaving and separating children from parents.
Chuck's leadership of a rehabilitation program takes an authoritarian turn, enforcing strict rules and harsh punishments, disrupting members' personal lives, and prompting a public backlash that fuels his growing paranoia.
In 1977, the abduction of Frances Winn by the Synanon cult leads to legal battle. As media scrutiny intensifies, Chuck makes massive firearms purchase. Chuck's life spirals downward until his demise, leaving Synanon's followers to pick up.
