Freddy, barely 20 and an unemployed epileptic, lives with his mom, who runs a cafe in the small, sleepy town of Bailleul in Northern France. Freddy loves his girlfriend Marie and hangs out with his buddies aimlessly riding motor scooters. However, he faces a moment of strife when he sees Marie talking to the new guy in town, Kader, the young son of an Arab family. Freddy's listless life, fueled by jealousy and prejudice leads him to an act of violence, in which he kills Kader.