Free Fall

Marc Borgmann starts a riot-control training course and struggles physically. He clashes with his roommate Kay Engel during a training exercise, but after a tense moment he apologizes and they become friends. The academy environment establishes the rough start of their complicated relationship.

During a joint jog, Kay kisses Marc as they share a marijuana cigarette. Marc is surprised but Kay reassures him that his kiss is a joke. The moment marks the shift from rivalry to affection.

Kay is transferred into Marc's riot-control unit, bringing tension with Bettina, Marc's pregnant girlfriend. The two men are introduced to Bettina at a bowling alley when Kay arrives with a colleague. Marc tries to stay faithful, but he and Kay resume their closeness, sharing a kiss and a handjob.

On another jog, Marc and Kay have sex outdoors in the rain, deepening their affair. Bettina remains unaware at first as the relationship grows more physical. The secrecy begins to strain Marc's commitments.

Bettina grows suspicious of Marc's late-night shifts and exchanges with Kay. Kay gives Marc a key to his apartment, enabling their nocturnal meetings. Marc finds himself less capable of intimacy with Bettina due to the pregnancy and the strain of the affair.

The unit visits a gay bar where Marc takes ecstasy, blurring boundaries. Bettina later rebuffs him and discovers calls from Kay on his phone. The emotional stakes rise as Bettina gives birth to their son.

Bettina gives birth to their son; Marc tries to distance himself from Kay by ending contact. Kay persists in reaching out, leading to a confrontation as Marc demands to be left alone. The affair becomes impossible to hide.

Marc learns Kay was found at a gay bar raided by their unit and confronts him. Kay insists he loves Marc and isn't sleeping with anyone else. They kiss, rekindling the fragile bond between them.

Kay attacks a fellow officer, Limpinski, following a homophobic incident. Marc is knocked down trying to intervene and Kay visits him in the hospital. Marc's mother witnesses their kiss, causing an emotional rift and Marc's departure.

Marc's family pressures him at a party to keep away from Kay and his 'new family'. Marc confronts Kay and tells him to leave. The social and familial tensions intensify their separation.

Marc visits Kay's apartment to find it empty and bruised from an earlier confrontation. He advises Kay to transfer to another unit and returns the key, effectively ending their relationship. He departs to face Bettina and the consequences.

Bettina comes home with their son and confronts Marc about the lies and the affair. Marc visits her at Frank's house and admits the truth about Kay. Their relationship enters emotional distance and uncertainty.

Kay's apartment is empty; he has moved out and left the unit without notice. Marc and Kay's social circle is strained, and Limpinski hints at discipline while Frank implies consequences. Kay's absence marks the end of their romance.

Marc visits the gay bar alone and initiates a sexual encounter with another man, but he ultimately rebuffs him. The scene illustrates his internal struggle with identity and commitment.

Marc and Bettina realize they cannot continue their relationship. The film ends with Marc back at the academy, running alone ahead of his peers, echoing the opening scene and signaling a solitary path forward.