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Breaking and Entering (2018) movie poster

Plot Summary

Breaking and Entering (2018) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 16 mins · Spanish
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Directed by
Damià Serra Cauchetiez
Starring
Pep Payo, Lluís Altés, Vicky Peña, María Molins, Pablo Capuz, Moha Amazian
Budget
$10K

Imad, a young man from a disadvantaged neighborhood, arranges a clandestine meeting with Angel, a young man from a wealthy family. They connected through a dating app and seek a private encounter in Angel’s opulent home, hoping to keep their relationship hidden. The meeting promises a brief escape from their disparate worlds, but the potential for complications looms large.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Breaking and Entering: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Breaking and Entering (2018) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Will Francis is a young English landscape architect in London, living a meticulously organized life beside his Swedish-American girlfriend Liv and her 14-year-old daughter Bea. Bea’s irregular sleep and eating patterns, coupled with her social awkwardness and single-minded love of somersaults and gymnastics, place a growing strain on Will and Liv’s relationship. The distance between them widens as Will watches Bea struggle to connect with others, and he begins to feel like an outsider in a family that isn’t technically his. They try relationship counseling, hoping to bridge the growing gap, but the drift between them stubbornly persists, casting a pale shadow over their daily routines and future plans.

Meanwhile, their architectural firm is the target of repeated burglaries by a group that speaks Slavic languages. A key weakness in the building’s alarm system hints at inside knowledge, and the thefts are carried out with the help of Miro, a 15-year-old traceur whose acrobatic skills make him a nimble and elusive intruder. Miro’s backstory reveals a refugee childhood from Bosnia and Herzegovina, living with his Bosnian Muslim mother Amira, who works as a seamstress, while his Serbian father was killed in the war. The burglars’ operation is not just a random crime spree but a desperate means of survival, a detail that begins to complicate Will and Liv’s sterile view of the thefts.

At first, Will and Sandy, his partner, dismiss the break-ins as the neighborhood’s rough reputation, but a second intrusion pushes them to stake out the building after hours. The nightly vigil unexpectedly aligns with Will’s own need to feel purposeful and in control, a counterweight to the emotional fog at home. It’s during these late-night stakeouts that Will crosses paths with Oana, an Eastern European sex worker who frequents the area, and a chance encounter leads him to follow Miro back to his modest home. Rather than report the break-in to the police, Will returns to Amira’s apartment under the guise of needing a suit mended, drawn by a growing curiosity and a sense of connection that he hasn’t felt in a long time.

As Will becomes emotionally entangled with Amira, the boundaries between personal longing and moral duty blur. The relationship with Liv continues to hover in the background, but Will’s fascination with Amira sparks a reevaluation of his own life, his loyalties, and what he’s willing to risk for a chance at happiness. The investigation closes in on the burglars, and Will faces a pivotal decision that could ripple through the lives of everyone close to him—from Liv and Bea to Amira and Miro. The film builds toward a difficult choice that tests how far one man will go when love, duty, and the truth collide, and it asks whether the pull of personal desire can ever be separated from the consequences it creates for the people around him.

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:05

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Plot questions answered

Breaking and Entering Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Breaking and Entering (2018): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why doesn't Will report Miro to the police?

Will doesn't report Miro because he becomes emotionally drawn to Miro's mother Amira after following the boy home. Instead of turning the burglars in, Will returns to Amira's apartment under the pretense of needing a suit mended, beginning an affair that clouds his judgment and makes him complicit in the crimes.

  • miro
  • amira
  • police
  • crime
  • betrayal
Q2

What is Bea's condition in the movie?

Bea is Liv's 14-year-old daughter who displays symptoms consistent with autism, including irregular sleep and eating patterns, social awkwardness, and a single-minded fixation on somersaults and gymnastics. These behaviors create tension in the household and contribute to Will feeling like an outsider.

Foreshadowing: The opening scenes establish Bea's difficulties as a persistent source of strain between Will and Liv.

  • bea
  • autism
  • liv
  • family
  • relationship
Q3

Why does Will pursue an affair with Amira?

Will is emotionally disconnected from his relationship with Liv and feels like an outsider in his own home. During his late-night stakeouts, he encounters Amira and is drawn to her vulnerability and the genuine connection he feels with her, a stark contrast to the emotional distance at home.

Foreshadowing: Will's dissatisfaction is established early through the relationship counseling scenes and his observations of Bea's struggles.

  • will
  • amira
  • affair
  • emotion
  • connection
Q4

What is Miro's background in Breaking and Entering?

Miro (Mirsad) is a 15-year-old traceur and refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He lives with his Bosnian Muslim mother Amira, who works as a seamstress. His Serbian father was killed in the war, forcing the family to flee. The burglaries are a desperate means of survival for the family.

  • miro
  • refugee
  • bosnia
  • amira
  • crime
  • survival
Q5

Why does Will follow Miro to his home?

During his stakeout of the office building, Will spots Miro attempting to break in and decides to follow him rather than call the police. This choice stems from Will's growing need for purpose and control in his life, contrasted with the emotional emptiness at home.

Foreshadowing: The stakeouts are introduced as a way for Will to feel useful and in control while his personal life falls apart.

  • miro
  • will
  • follow
  • investigation
  • decision
Q6

What choice does Will have to make at the end?

Will must decide whether to report the burglars to the police, which would expose his affair with Amira and potentially harm her and Miro, or stay silent to protect them, which would betray Liv and potentially put his career at risk. The decision forces him to choose between personal desire and moral responsibility.

  • will
  • decision
  • police
  • affair
  • consequence
  • ending
Q7

Why does Will and Liv's relationship fail?

Will and Liv's relationship deteriorates primarily because Will feels like an outsider in a family that isn't technically his. Bea's needs and behavioral challenges create distance, and despite relationship counseling, the emotional gap widens. Will's inability to connect with Bea and his growing isolation lead him to seek fulfillment elsewhere.

Foreshadowing: The relationship counseling scenes early in the film establish the persistent drift between them.

  • liv
  • will
  • relationship
  • bea
  • failure
  • counseling
Q8

What does the title Breaking and Entering mean?

The title refers to the literal burglary crimes committed by Miro and his associates, which are central to the plot. It also metaphorically describes Will's emotional breaking into Amira's life and the moral boundaries he crosses by not reporting the crimes.

  • title
  • meaning
  • burglary
  • metaphor
  • crime
Q9

How does Amira and Miro's refugee background affect the story?

Their refugee background adds moral complexity to the crime subplot. The burglaries aren't random violence but desperate survival by a family displaced by war. This humanizes the criminals and complicates Will's judgment, making his decision to stay silent more understandable while also highlighting themes of belonging and displacement.

  • refugee
  • amira
  • miro
  • bosnia
  • war
  • survival
  • morality
Q10

Why does Will take on the nighttime stakeout alone?

Will volunteers for the late-night stakeouts because he feels purposeless and out of control in his personal life. The investigation gives him something concrete to focus on and a sense of agency that he's missing at home with Liv and Bea.

  • will
  • stakeout
  • night
  • control
  • purpose
  • investigation

Movie threads

More Movies Like Breaking and Entering, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Breaking and Entering tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about moral dilemmas in the city like Breaking and Entering

Stories where city life exposes quiet desperation and ambiguous choices. If you liked the quiet tension and ethical uncertainty of Breaking and Entering, explore more movies like it. This thread features similar stories of urban melancholy, where characters face moral crossroads amidst a somber city backdrop, perfect for fans of introspective, character-driven drama.

  • melancholic
  • introspective
  • atmospheric
  • tense
  • lonely
  • somber
  • Tone: melancholic, tense, introspective
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives often follow characters trapped by their circumstances or social divides, typically in a city setting. A pivotal encounter or event forces a confrontation with a moral dilemma, leading to an ending that questions the nature of right and wrong without providing easy answers.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the melancholic atmosphere of urban life and the exploration of complex moral questions. They feature a similar pacing and emotional tone, prioritizing character introspection over fast-paced action, and often leave the viewer with a sense of thoughtful ambiguity.

Movies with tense private encounters like Breaking and Entering

Unlikely connections forged under pressure in confined, tense settings. Find movies similar to Breaking and Entering that explore clandestine meetings and the intense drama of private spaces. If you enjoyed the tense, intimate dynamic between characters from different worlds, this thread highlights other films with a claustrophobic feel and high emotional stakes.

  • tense
  • claustrophobic
  • emotional
  • intimate
  • dramatic
  • secretive
  • Tone: tense, emotional, melancholic
  • Pacing: slow, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative structure is built around a central, intimate meeting or a series of confined interactions. The tension arises from the characters' hidden motives, social differences, and the risk of exposure, creating a slow-burn drama focused on dialogue, unspoken emotions, and psychological maneuvering.

Why they belong together: These films share a focus on the dynamics of private, often clandestine, encounters. They create a palpable sense of tension and emotional risk within a constrained space, relying on strong performances and nuanced dialogue to explore themes of connection, class, and secrecy.

Every angle

Breaking and Entering (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Breaking and Entering in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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