The year is 1630. A young woman in Laupstad comes to a small mountain village. She witnesses a woman being hunted and captured.

Jakob lives with his unstable mother. She constantly explodes into wild rages and Jakob does what he can to protect his baby brother Tomas. By assuming the role of his evil twin Bokaj, he is able to vent his suppressed emotions. This role playing begins as an innocent game, but after a while, he grows increasingly unable to distinguish between game-playing and real life.