Based on the true story of Mark 'Chopper' Read, one of Australia's most notorious criminals, we follow the vicious tough guy as he attempts to go straight after leaving prison. He makes a commitment to Margaret, the woman he loves, to clean up his act, yet the sins of his past, his ego and an ongoing feud with Syd Collins will make this promise impossible to keep. Back in prison, he tries to prove he's a reformed character by marrying Mary Ann Hodge, but his heart still belongs to Margaret. The film moves seamlessly between his criminal past during the 1990s and his new career as a comedian. His past eventually catches up with him and, after the police interrupt a show in 2002, he confesses to a murder - but is this just another performance?