Symmetry

A prison guard writes a report about a dead body found in a cell, noting suicide as the probable cause. The scene hints at events that will unfold later in the story. It occurs before the title credits.

Łukasz is arrested after a rainy evening and taken to a police lineup where an elderly robbery victim identifies him. He protests his innocence but cannot provide an alibi. He learns that his detention will likely last a long time.

Łukasz is transferred to pre-trial detention and placed in a transition cell. There he meets Zborek, who explains the prison subculture and pressurizes him to join grypzera. Fear of abuse pushes Łukasz to agree to join and he is placed with the subculture inmates.

In his new cell, Łukasz meets Kosior, Siwy, Albert, Roman, and Dawid. Albert and Siwy tease him about a fist fight, and Łukasz goes along to avoid appearing weak. Roman teaches basic prison rules and Kosior introduces the grypzera and their code.

An attorney visits Łukasz to explain that the prosecutor plans to charge him with unintentional homicide in addition to robbery. The case could take months to resolve, leaving him in limbo inside the prison.

Albert tells a disturbing story about kidnapping, which triggers Dawid to threaten him. Kosior recounts Dawid’s violence toward the rapist, and Dawid’s wife visits weekly, silently watching him with restrained emotion.

Łukasz endures a punishment that includes drinking a detergent mixture for breaking a rule. The harsh treatment intensifies his fear and solidifies his dependence on the cell’s power structure.

A guard tells Łukasz to pack as if he will be released, only to order him to unpack moments later. The cruel joke devastates him and drives him toward a suicide attempt.

After a period of despair, Łukasz passes the knowledge test for the subculture and is officially accepted into grypzera. He earns some respect by claiming a portion of Albert's contraband, which affects Albert’s visiting privileges.

A new prisoner accused of child abuse is placed in the cell. Kosior angrily tells him to stay quiet, and the newcomer is beaten and forced to eat in the toilet while guards ignore the abuse.

Łukasz’s attorney brings news that the prosecutor intends to remit the case for lack of evidence, suggesting an imminent release. His mother and little sister visit, but they notice the nearby new prisoner and Łukasz asks them to leave, insisting that he loves them.

Albert proposes killing the soon-to-be-released prisoner to fake a suicide. Łukasz hesitates, but Kosior persuades him, and Roman is knocked out to prevent interference during the plan.

That night, Łukasz, Kosior, Albert, and Dawid strangulate the new prisoner and hang his body on the window bars to make it look like a suicide. The cell’s brutality is completed by this calculated act.

In the following visit, Łukasz tells his mother that life in prison is different and that she would not understand it. The conversation ends with a quiet goodbye as they speak through the glass and phone.