| Director | Jacques Audiard |
|---|---|
| Budget | €15.5 million |
| Box office | $25.8 million |
Alain "Ali" van Versch, an unemployed single father in his twenties, arrives in Antibes to look for work to support his young son, Sam. Having no money, he crashes with his sister Anna, a cashier who already has her own share of problems with financial instability and temporary employment.
Ali gets a job as a bouncer in a nightclub, which allows him to continue his passion for kickboxing by training during the day. One evening, Ali meets Stéphanie after she is injured in a club brawl. He escorts her back to her home, where he learns she is an orca trainer at Marineland. Ali offers his phone number to Stéphanie before leaving. He later gets a new job as a security guard, where his co-worker Martial informs him of an illegal fighting racket where he can earn money in bouts.
At Marineland, Stéphanie suffers an accident during a show. She wakes up in the hospital to realize that her legs have been amputated. Now in a wheelchair and trying to adjust to life without her legs, Stéphanie is deeply depressed. She gives Ali a call. Ali visits her and takes her to a beach, where he persuades her to go swimming; though hesitant at first, Stéphanie eventually forgets her self-consciousness and is liberated by the experience.
Ali and Stéphanie begin to spend more time together, and her self-image improves. After she is outfitted with artificial limbs, she persists in learning to walk again. Stéphanie learns about Ali's involvement in mixed martial arts and has him bring her to watch his fights. After a frank discussion with Stéphanie, Ali offers to have sex with her to help her adjust to her new body. Their friendship evolves to include casual sex, though Stéphanie prevents deeper intimacy by forbidding kissing during their encounters.
On a night out with Ali and friends at the club where Ali formerly worked, Stéphanie feels rejected when Ali dances with another woman and goes home with her. A man at the bar tries to make a pass at Stéphanie, but stops short when he sees her prosthetic legs under her skirt. The man apologizes to her, prompting Stéphanie to fly into a rage and attack him. She is escorted from the club.
The next day, Stéphanie questions Ali about their relationship. She says that if they continue to have casual sex, they have to respect each other's feelings and be more discreet about their other involvements. Their intimacy increases and, one night Stéphanie lets down her guard and kisses Ali. Stéphanie also begins managing Ali's bets for his fighting when Martial leaves town.
Anna is fired from her job when the managers catch her taking home expired food products. Her co-workers tell her that Ali was found installing surveillance cameras at their work, as management wanted surveillance of employees' activities. Anna has a tense fight with her brother Ali, culminating in a standoff between him and her partner Richard, who demands that Ali leave Anna's flat and not come back.
Out of guilt for his offense, Ali leaves town without a word to Stéphanie. He leaves Sam with Anna in order to attend a combat sports training facility near Strasbourg. Some time later, Richard drops Sam off to visit Ali for a day at the training facility.
On their day together, Ali and Sam play in the snow and on a frozen lake. A weak spot on the ice beneath Sam cracks open and he falls into the lake. Ali frantically tries to rescue him, and after desperately punching the ice to break the surface, he is able to pull out the unconscious boy. In the process, Ali fractures almost every bone in his hands.
After carrying Sam to a hospital, Ali stays at the boy's side while he is in a coma. Sam ultimately survives the ordeal. Stéphanie, learning of Sam's accident, phones Ali at the hospital. While talking to Stéphanie, Ali breaks down in tears and confesses his love for her.
Ali explains that broken bones normally heal stronger than before, but he knows the pain will return in his hands.
After some time passes, Ali is shown celebrating a fight victory in Warsaw as Stéphanie happily watches. After the win, Ali and Stéphanie take Sam by the hand and lead him out through the revolving door of a hotel.