In Hamburg, a slap out of the blue is received by the victim with appreciation. The man, who is hit by a woman, interprets it as an act of anarchy and finds meaning in it. Then they both go out into the street and declare slapping to be an art form.

The story follows Philip Boran, an ex-convict who has managed to turn his life around and become a movie star. However, his new life is disrupted when his brother is murdered following a bank robbery. Driven by grief and a desire for justice, Boran sets out on a relentless mission to avenge his brother's death His quest targets a corrupt police officer. As Boran takes matters into his own hands, the investigation twists against him, and he soon finds himself suspected of being a criminal

Several known criminals already have been murdered by a professional killer, leaving no trace but the "ace" game card. The police suspects a new mob is trying to take over the district. The investigating police officer Jan is victimized by a bomb himself, when he's at his girlfriend Daniela's father's Italian restaurant. Although paralyzed and suspended from work, the tuff cop continues to investigate and takes revenge on the gangsters who did this to him.

Business tycoon Rotwang has been murdered. In a series of intertwined, loosely connected flashbacks, the film recounts the ludicrous events leading up to the bloody deed, while also pursuing some bizarre side plots. There are many possible perpetrators because everyone agreed on one thing: Rotwang had to go! Whether it was his wife Clarissa, the former RAF terrorist and current fashion guru Arthur Eigenrauch, or the rustic snack bar owner Udo Ringeltaub—they all had a personal or professional reason to eliminate Rotwang.

Harald T. is overlooked—for life. And even in the pathology department, where the supposedly dead man is finally carted off to, the medical students who have gathered to perform the autopsy cannot find him.

After attending a wedding on a steamboat traveling down the river Spree, three friends from Hamburg become stranded in a newly reunified Berlin. They begin a restless odyssey through the wastelands of a metropolis wavering between an unpredictable future and a lingering past.

Martha lives in Hamburg with her young son and makes films with real passion. To stay close to the pulse of society, she has moved in with a Portuguese family. Teresa helps foreigners navigate bureaucracy, while Martha tries to build a romance with Alfred. Their shared everyday life reflects West German realities, captured spontaneously and with sarcastic wit.

Adrian is a single man living in the big city, on the verge of a midlife crisis. So far, he hasn't managed to build a proper family, a fat bank account, or a fancy car. All he has to show for himself is his status as a (bird-free) media employee.