Aftermath is a 2017 American thriller film directed by Elliott Lester and written by Javier Gullón. The film, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scoot McNairy, Maggie Grace, and Martin Donovan, was released on April 7, 2017 by Lionsgate Premiere. The film is based on events and persons surrounding the 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision of a passenger airliner with a cargo jet, although the names, places, nationalities, and incidents were changed. It was released on video on demand.
Plot
Roman Melnyk, a construction worker, is allowed to leave work early to prepare for the arrival of his wife Olena and pregnant daughter Nadiya from New York City, aboard flight AX 112. At the airport to welcome his family, Roman receives the news that AX 112, with his wife and daughter on board, had been in an accident. From this point on, Roman is devastated and blames the air traffic controller for the deaths of his family.
Meanwhile, in another angle of the story, Jacob “Jake” Bonanos, an air traffic controller, is happily married to a woman named Christina with whom he has a young son named Samuel. Jake is on duty the night of the crash, which occurs when his colleague is on coffee break, forcing Jake to do both their jobs, and the telephone lines (needed to communicate with other airports) are briefly non-working while under maintenance. He is devastated, after seeing AX 112 and the other flight, DH 616, disappear from the radar, showing that the two planes collided and were destroyed. Although the investigators cannot hold Jake responsible for the crash and the passengers’ deaths, he blames himself; as time passes, he slowly unravels, straining the relationship with his family, and is unwilling to talk about what happened.
It is reported that all 271 passengers and crew were killed in the mid-air collision. Roman goes to the crash site and, posing as a volunteer with no relationship with the victims, recovers his daughter’s necklace and the bodies of his wife and daughter. At his home, Roman stays hidden inside, when Tessa Gorbett, a journalist, approaches, expressing interest in writing a book on the incident. She ends up leaving behind some prior articles of plane disasters she had written about (to show her fidelity to accuracy and objectivity, as a serious journalist) through the mail slot of the door.
Because of the seriousness of the incident, his company’s lawyer advises Jake to move to another state and adopt a new name for him and his family’s safety. Roman meets lawyers John and James Gullick, who unsuccessfully try to convince him to sign an agreement stating that the airline will pay his expenses for medical and mental healthcare, plus $85,000 and $75,000 in damages for the loss of his wife and daughter, respectively. Roman refuses to sign it as neither the company nor the lawyers will express apologies for the loss of his family.
One year later, Roman and other crash victims’ relatives attend the inauguration of a newly completed memorial at the crash site. Jake, having moved to another state, now works at a travel agency, under the name “Pat Dealbert”, and lives alone. Roman has also moved to another town and now works as a carpenter.
Roman meets Tessa and asks her, as a favor, to find Jake. Tessa later reveals Jake’s cover name and occupation, but she initially refuses to give his address. Roman tracks down the building where Jake is working and follows him to his apartment. There, after waiting a day, on a day when Christina and Samuel happen to be visiting Jake for the weekend, Roman confronts him at his door. Jake refuses to offer an apology, so Roman stabs Jake in the torso and neck. Jake falls to the floor and bleeds to death, while Christina and Samuel sob uncontrollably.
Roman is convicted of murder and serves 10 years of his prison term, then is released early on parole, given the extenuating circumstances that motivated his crime. While visiting his family’s grave, he meets a stranger. The stranger turns out to be Samuel, who has tracked Roman down with the intention of killing him to avenge his father’s murder. However, Roman apologizes, and Samuel, moved by Roman’s contrition, realizes he cannot go through with the execution because it’s not what he was taught. He allows Roman to leave. Roman leaves the cemetery alive, but now must spend the rest of his life dealing with the aftermath of his crime.
Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Roman Melnyk (based on Vitaly Kaloyev)
Scoot McNairy as Jacob “Jake” Bonanos (based on Peter Nielsen)
Maggie Grace as Christina
Martin Donovan as Robert
Judah Nelson as Samuel
Hannah Ware as Tessa
Mariana Klaveno as Eve Sanders
Kevin Zegers as John Gullick
Larry Sullivan as James Gullick
Teri Clark Linden as Airline Supervisor
Lewis Pullman as older Samuel
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