Elling follows two unlikely friends who meet as roommates in a mental institution. The title character is a reclusive man who struggles to function on his own after the death of his mother. His roommate, Kjell Bjarne, is a virgin in his 40s who is fascinated with sex and overeating. When the pair is released from the institution, they are placed in government housing where a social worker occasionally checks in on them to ensure they are capable of living in society on their own. At their new apartment, Elling befriends a local elder man, while Kjell Bjarne sparks a romance with their pregnant neighbor.