Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
A fatal plane crash changes the lives of Roman and Jake forever. Roman loses his wife and daughter in the accident, while Jake loses his mind—as he happens to be the air traffic controller who failed to avert the nightmare. Rage and revenge engulfs Roman and Jake finds himself swamped with guilt and regret.
Aftermath is a somber, grounded drama anchored by Arnold Schwarzenegger in an unusually restrained dramatic role, exploring grief and guilt through dual perspectives following a plane crash. The plot is serviceable and emotionally weighty, drawing from a real tragedy, but the narrative is somewhat predictable in its arc toward confrontation. Schwarzenegger delivers a genuinely subdued and affecting performance, though the supporting cast is less memorable. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable, with little visual distinction. The film covers familiar grief-and-revenge territory without offering a particularly fresh angle, making it feel derivative of better films in the genre. The ending is quietly devastating and avoids easy resolution, which is one of the film's stronger qualities.