The Double Steps

Downtrodden Simon James watches Hannah from his apartment across the way, drawn to her despite being ignored by his boss and coworkers. He secretly retrieves and admires the art she discards, fueling his fixation. The quiet ritual marks the start of his unusual fixation on the coworker next door.

One night, Simon watches as a man jumps to his death from the floor above Hannah’s apartment. He tells detectives about the incident, who explain that if the man had jumped even a few feet to the right he might have survived, though severely injured. The event shakes him and deepens the sense that life above him hides dangerous realities.

At home, Simon trades his television for money. He buys a gift for Hannah, hoping the present will draw her interest and perhaps acknowledge his existence. The decision marks a small, desperate attempt to reach out.

At work, the boss announces a new employee named James Simon who looks identical to Simon. Simon faints at the sight, overwhelmed by the uncanny similarity. James, confident and charming, notices the resemblance and quickly becomes a polar opposite to him; coworkers treat him with respect that Simon lacks.

James, noticing Simon's misery, befriends him and the two share breakfast at Kiki's. James offers practical advice on how to approach Hannah, planting the seed of a plan. Simon, though wary, begins to lean on the stranger who looks like him but behaves differently.

Hannah asks James on a date, arranged through Simon. Later, the two head to a bar where James continues to coach Simon on how to seduce Hannah. The plan hinges on Simon's ability to impersonate James under James's guidance.

On the date, Simon pretends to be James with the real James guiding him via an earpiece. When Simon grows nervous, the pair swap places and James kisses Hannah, provoking Simon's jealousy and anger. The audacious swap cements the precarious dynamic between them.

James has Simon take an aptitude test in his place at work, while also pushing Simon to tutor and covertly seduce Melanie, their boss's rebellious daughter. The double assignment feeds Simon's unease as he becomes entangled in James's schemes. The deception tightens its grip as consequences loom.

Simon finally reveals to Hannah that James is cheating on her with Melanie. In retaliation, James blackmails Simon for his apartment keys, using explicit photos he took in the past and betting on their boss believing it is Simon. The tension between the imposters spirals as the lies threaten both men and their connections.

At work, Simon accuses James of being an impostor, and the confrontation ends with Simon being fired after a furious tirade. The humiliation and anger push him toward a suicide attempt as he contemplates ending his life. The line between reality and fantasy blurs as the consequences of their duel become deadly.

Just as he considers taking his own life, Simon finds Hannah unconscious in her apartment after an overdose. He calls an ambulance and accompanies her to the hospital, where it is revealed she has miscarried after an earlier sexual encounter with James. The event underscores the collateral damage of their chaotic lives.

Simon brings Hannah back to her apartment, hoping she will recover. She reveals that she had wanted to die and even suggests that Simon kill himself, testing his resolve. She also notices the earrings and the salvaged art Simon has kept for her, which validates his care.

Simon learns that his mother has died, and he finds James at her funeral. He lashes out and punches James, and the two discover a shared pattern of injuries in their bodies, revealing how closely connected they are. The clash deepens the sense that they are bound by the same fate.

In a final act of personal rebellion, Simon handcuffs James to his bed, then climbs to the ledge above Hannah's apartment and steps to the right before leaping. He is badly hurt as the fall lands him on the street below and an ambulance arrives. The drama reframes their feud as a desperate bid for attention and recognition.

Inside the ambulance, Hannah and The Colonel watch over Simon as he clings to life. The Colonel tells him he is special, and Simon responds with a wry, hopeful line about being unique. The film closes on this note of fragile self-worth amid the chaos.