After a messy breakup, Heidi swears off dating and vows to get revenge on everyone that’s crossed her. But when she finds herself stuck on detention with goodie-two-shoes Saffron, Heidi’s forced to risk getting hurt again, or cut herself off from her friends forever.
Synopsis
Still reeling from the end of her relationship with Tabby, rebellious teenager Heidi has turned heartbreak into anger. She keeps her friends at a distance, lashes out at anyone who gets too close and saves most of her fury for Brayden - the boy whose lies helped destroy the relationship she cared about most. Convinced he deserves a taste of his own medicine, Heidi creates a fake online dating profile in his name. But what begins as a cruel joke quickly spirals out of control, bringing a stranger to Brayden’s home and creating consequences Heidi never anticipated.
When Heidi confronts Brayden at school, quiet, studious Saffron is accidentally caught in the middle. The incident earns Heidi a week of after-school detention—and places her in close quarters with the last person she would ever choose to spend time with. Saffron is earnest, religious, rule-following and close friends with Tabby. Heidi is sarcastic, unpredictable and surrounded by rumours about just how dangerous she might be. At first, Saffron is genuinely frightened of her, while Heidi takes pleasure in encouraging her intimidating reputation.
But as the long afternoons stretch on, their hostility begins to soften. Through arguments, games, reluctant conversations and moments of unexpected honesty, Saffron starts to realise that Heidi’s tough exterior is protecting someone profoundly lonely. Heidi, meanwhile, discovers that Saffron is far more courageous and complicated than the sheltered schoolgirl she assumed her to be. For perhaps the first time since her breakup, Heidi allows someone to see the hurt beneath her anger - and Saffron responds with compassion rather than judgement.
Their unlikely connection soon develops into something neither girl expected. A spontaneous kiss forces Heidi to confront feelings she is not ready to understand, while Saffron risks damaging her friendship with Tabby by growing closer to the girl who broke her heart. As attraction deepens, Heidi must decide whether she can stop running from vulnerability, take responsibility for the people she has hurt and believe that she might deserve another chance at love.
Funny, raw and emotionally charged, After School is an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age romance about heartbreak, revenge, loneliness and the unexpected person who sees beyond your worst behaviour. Set within the world of Flunk, the 88-minute feature explores how easily pain can become cruelty - and how trust, honesty and an unlikely new relationship can offer a way forward.
