When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.
Susanne is a woman in her mid-30s and the owner of a modeling agency in Stockholm. She accompanies her prize model, Doris, on a trip to Gothenburg so that Doris can be photographed. While traveling, both women seek out romance, Susanne with a married lover and Doris with an older gentleman who sees his deceased wife in the young model. The two women struggle to understand their romantic motivations and in the process form an unlikely friendship.
Maggi meets David after having missed her train, and they spend the night together. Penniless, the young lovers break into a summer cottage. The owner, Håkansson, offers to rent it to them, but he has an ulterior motive. By living together, they have to face their pasts and deal with the meddling neighbors and authorities.
