Based on the true story of the Baekeland family, the narrative spans several decades following socialite Barbara Daly (Julianne Moore), her wealthy Bakelite plastics heir husband Brooks (Stephen Dillane), and their emotionally fragile son Antony (Eddie Redmayne). As Brooks grows distant and abandons the family for a younger woman, Barbara becomes increasingly codependent on Antony. Moving across high-society Europe, Barbara attempts to cure Antony’s homosexuality through intrusive methods, leading to an incestuous mother-son sexual encounter and a tragic, violent breakdown.