Free Fall

Marc Borgmann struggles with the physical demands and camaraderie at the police academy. He clashes with his roommate Kay Engel during a training exercise but later apologizes, setting the stage for an uneasy friendship. The tension grows as the academy becomes the backdrop for their evolving dynamic.

Marc apologizes for the initial aggression, and he and Kay begin to bond. They start jogging together regularly, and a mutual attraction begins to simmer beneath the surface. The seeds of their complicated relationship are planted.

During a jog, Kay kisses Marc after sharing a marijuana cigarette and jokes that it wasn’t serious. Marc is unsettled but intrigued, signaling the start of a dangerous closeness. The line between friendship and romance becomes blurred.

On another run, Marc and Kay kiss again and Kay performs a handjob. This deepens Marc's internal conflict as he remains involved with Bettina while also drawn to Kay. The jogging routine becomes a cover for their growing intimacy.

Kay is transferred into Marc's police unit, making his loyalties harder to keep separate. Marc feels strained trying to balance duty and desire as Kay becomes a constant workmate and temptation. The boundary between colleague and lover becomes increasingly porous.

Kay arrives with a colleague to a bowling alley where Marc and his family are. Bettina, Marc's pregnant girlfriend, is introduced, and the dynamic shifts as secrets begin to fester. This encounter marks the first major intersection of Marc's private life with his professional circle.

Marc tries to stay faithful to Bettina, but he resumes late-night jogging with Kay, and they have sex in the rain. Bettina grows suspicious as Marc hides his night shifts and Kay keeps a key to Marc's apartment. The relationship grows more entangled and dangerous.

Bettina discovers recent calls from Kay on Marc's phone after growing suspicious. The affair begins to threaten Marc's relationship and his home life. The tension stretches toward a breaking point.

Bettina gives birth to their son, and Marc tries to cut Kay out of his life. Kay continues to reach out, leading to a physical confrontation as Marc demands to be left alone. The family crisis intensifies as loyalty and desire collide.

Marc discovers Kay was at a gay bar raided by their unit and confronts him at Kay's apartment. Kay confesses that he loves Marc, and they share a kiss, rekindling their forbidden bond. The emotional tension escalates as secrecy deepens.

Limpinski's homophobic incident leads Kay to attack him, and Marc is injured while trying to intervene. Kay visits Marc in the hospital and they share a kiss that Marc's mother witnesses, triggering a fierce argument. The relationship teeters on collapse as outside judgments pour in.

Kay attends a party invited by Bettina, but Marc's family urges him to stay away from Kay. Marc returns the apartment key and faces the reality of a broken relationship. Bettina finally returns with their son, and Marc admits the affair to her, sealing the separation.

Kay moves out and Marc's unit loses another link in their already fractured dynamic. Marc taunts Limpinski after an exchange, prompting a potential punishment at work. Feeling hollow, Marc goes to a gay bar alone but ends up rebuffing another man and walking away.

Marc and Bettina acknowledge that they cannot stay together, and he tries one last time to find himself. The film ends with Marc at the academy track, running ahead of his peers in solitary pursuit. The closing image suggests a new path carved out of conflict and loneliness.