Afterschool 2009

As Robert (Robert) delves into his film project at the private school, he unwittingly captures a harrowing scene: the tragic demise of twin sisters, brought on by drugs laced with rat poison. Paralyzed by shock, Robert fails to summon help and instead sits beside the girls, cradling one in his lap as she succumbs to her fate. This fateful moment is forever preserved on Robert’s camera and another student’s cell phone, yet it remains shrouded in mystery, with only the sounds of the girl’s desperate cries and eventually, her labored breathing, hinting at the tragedy unfolding before our very eyes. The school’s attempts to sanitize this gruesome event by enforcing a stricter drug policy and searching bags come too little, too late.

As the atmosphere of fear and unease settles over the school, Robert is left grappling with his own guilt and responsibility. Alongside fellow student Amy (Amy), he’s tasked with crafting a memorial video tribute to the fallen twins. The resulting film is met with disapproval from the school, which demands a re-edit to sanitize the emotional impact of the piece.

Meanwhile, Robert and Amy find solace in each other’s arms, sharing their first intimate moments beneath the canopy of a wooded area. However, whispers begin to circulate that Robert’s roommate may be harboring romantic feelings for Amy as well. As tensions simmer, Robert’s pent-up anger finally boils over during a violent confrontation with his roommate, who had unwittingly sold the drugs responsible for the twins’ demise. The school authorities are left scratching their heads as Robert vehemently denies any involvement in the girls’ deaths.

In the aftermath, Robert is asked to take a leave of absence from the school, and we’re treated to a jarring revelation: a front-on view of the girls’ tragic end, with Robert’s hand pressed firmly over the girl’s mouth and nose, smothering her. The film concludes with an unsettling shot of Robert, now medicated and seemingly under the influence of prescription pills, as an unseen observer captures his every move on their cell phone – a stark reminder that the truth behind those fateful events remains forever shrouded in mystery.