Einar Sutt, a quiet man plagued by lifelong mild kleptomania, finds his mundane existence shattered when a single, uncharacteristic act of theft goes horribly wrong. Driven by an unconscious compulsion to take small, seemingly insignificant objects, Einar one day steals a large sum of money and vintage tennis rackets from an open gym bag. Unbeknownst to him, the bag belongs to Colonel Arnold J. Wallace, a ruthless retired military officer secretly running a vast criminal empire. This petty crime ignites a deadly cat-and-mouse chase across the city, forcing Einar, who previously only stole small things, to play for his life against Wallace's highly skilled and brutal enforcers.
Captured and tortured, Einar reveals the location of the stolen items before being shot in the head and left for dead. Miraculously surviving the execution attempt, he is found and rescued by Maiken, a reclusive former doctor who believes in second chances. With Maiken's help, Einar heals, obtains forged documents, and disappears, assuming a new identity. He relocates to Granada, Spain, where he opens a second-hand shop, sells his old collected items, and builds a new life of simplicity and honesty. He eventually reconnects with Maiken, finding peace and learning to value freedom and redemption, finally free from his compulsion and the shadow of his past.
