Fox and His Friends

Fox's job at the Munich carnival ends when Klaus, the carnival owner, is arrested for tax fraud. With the loss of income, he finds himself with little money and few options. The setback pushes him toward new, uncertain acquaintances.

Fox visits his alcoholic sister Hedwig, but she cannot help him. After exhausting his last money, he meets Max, an older, cultured antique art dealer who will shape his future.

Fox swindles ten marks from an overweight florist to buy a lottery ticket. A month later, he wins 500,000 Deutsche Marks, a windfall that instantly shifts his social prospects and draws him into Max's circle.

At a party, Max introduces Fox to his cultured gay friends. Eugen, handsome but hypocritical, initially shuns Fox for his proletarian manners, but quickly changes his mind upon learning of the lottery win and begins pursuing Fox, leaving his boyfriend Philip.

Eugen takes Fox to his apartment and introduces him to his social world, including a working-class gay bar and an up-market restaurant with his friends. These outings pull Fox deeper into Eugen's circle and set the stage for their budding relationship and collaboration.

Fox goes to a gay spa where Max suggests investing in Eugen's company, hinting at a financial alliance. This conversation deepens Fox's involvement and foreshadows the financial entanglements to come.

Eugen is evicted for moral reasons (two men living together). He convinces Fox to buy them an apartment and furniture from Max, anchoring their life together in a new space. Fox also buys clothes for Eugen at his ex-boyfriend Philip's shop.

Fox signs a contract for a 100,000-Mark loan to support the family business run by Eugen's father, a risk he barely understands. He also lends 30,000 marks to his ex Klaus, sparking Eugen's jealousy. The financial threads begin to tangle and drive tension.

Fox and Eugen go on a holiday to Marrakech to salvage their relationship and meet a local male prostitute, El Hedi ben Salem. The hotel refuses to admit him because he is Moroccan, complicating their vacation and their bond.

Back from Marrakech, the company is bankrupt and workers cannot be paid. Fox suggests giving his flat to Eugen to secure a loan to pay them, and the bank approves a loan to cover the debt.

Eugen goes to the opera with Max, leaving Fox alone. Fox goes to a gay bar, is propositioned by the florist, and lashes out with a slap, triggering a panic attack. He tells Eugen about the attack, but Eugen seems indifferent.

Fox visits a doctor who prescribes sedatives as his mental state declines. He breaks up with Eugen and ends up sleeping in his car, then sells his De Tomaso Pantera for 8,000 marks. The next day, he lies dead on the floor in the underground, having killed himself with Valium; two schoolboys loot his money while Max and Klaus watch and leave.