Tilt

The narrative flashes back to the past as Annie tells Bean about the choices she made that led to her being pregnant in an IKEA on the morning of the earthquake. In 2008, she is an unhappy 18-year-old student at New York University. Feeling isolated in New York, she calls her mother and asks if she can drop out and return to Portland; her mother reluctantly agrees but says that she can no longer support her financially after funding Annie’s flight home. Back in Portland, Annie writes her first play, which wins a local competition and is produced when she is 20. During the production, she meets Dom, who is an actor in the play, and they begin dating. As years pass, Annie transitions from restaurant work to a tech job for financial stability.

While Dom continues pursuing acting, Annie gradually abandons her playwriting, storing her notebooks of drafts and ideas at her mother’s house where they remain forgotten. Annie and Dom struggle with Portland’s increasing unaffordability as their friends disperse to cheaper locations. When Annie’s mother dies suddenly, Annie’s grief further distances her from her creative ambitions. 

In the present, she describes their current life to Bean: her unfulfilling office job, Dom’s persistent auditions that never amount to the big break he hopes for, and the domestic inertia that has replaced their once-vibrant artistic dreams.

The earthquake intensifies, and Annie is knocked to the ground in the IKEA warehouse. She crawls under a shelf, curling protectively around her stomach to shield Bean from falling debris. When the initial shaking stops, Annie discovers that her feet are pinned and that she is trapped in darkness with boxes and shelves collapsed around her. She calls out for help, and the IKEA employee from earlier responds, briefly leaving to find help before returning with a light that helps her locate Annie’s position. Together, they create an opening, and Taylor pulls Annie free from the debris.

After a moment of rest, they are startled to notice further building damage and begin navigating through the destroyed warehouse toward an exit. Annie realizes that she has lost her purse containing her phone and keys but picks up a green caterpillar baby toy from the rubble for comfort. As they make their way through the chaos, passing injured people, Annie briefly sees a small boy screaming alone, and she thinks he might be Spencer. However, in the rush and panic, she doesn’t stop to help him. At the exit, a crowd struggles to get out, and Annie is separated from the employee who saved her. Annie is pushed outside through shattered doors by the crowd behind her.

Annie recalls the production of her first play 14 years ago and tells Bean about her initial impressions of Dom during rehearsals. Though initially unimpressed by him, she grows to appreciate his diligence and dedication to his role. Annie’s romantic interest at the time focuses on another actor, Jacob, who in turn shows interest in the lead actress, Heather. On the play’s successful closing night, Annie experiences an emotional high and a strong sense of community with the cast, followed by a celebratory drink with her mother.

Later that evening, Annie offers Dom a ride to the cast party, but her Toyota Camry runs out of gas on the way there. She and Dom walk to a gas station, where they purchase fuel and a bottle of wine, sharing personal stories and artistic ambitions. The intimate conversation creates a connection between them, and when Annie slips on the wet sidewalk, Dom catches her. They fall together, and Annie impulsively kisses him, marking the beginning of their relationship. At first, Annie and Dom think that they are unique in their artistic ambitions and their dedication to their craft; however, they come to realize the reality of competition in creative fields.

Annie emerges into the chaotic IKEA parking lot, surveying the widespread destruction while searching unsuccessfully for Taylor, the employee who saved her—she thinks of her as the girl in the yellow shirt since she still doesn’t know her name. Since Annie’s purse, phone, and car keys are lost inside the collapsed store, she decides to walk to the café that Dom works at despite it being three or four miles away. As she joins crowds evacuating the area, she witnesses injured people, urban destruction, and frantic searches. Annie sees Spencer’s mother, who desperately asks Annie if she has seen her son; guilty about seeing him alone earlier, Annie says nothing.

As Annie continues moving through the devastated landscape, she worries about Bean’s lack of movement. At a damaged intersection, she borrows a phone from a truck driver to text Dom, but the message fails to send due to network issues. The driver offers a prayer for Annie, her baby, and his own grandson before Annie resumes her journey on foot. When the crowd thins and she finds herself alone, a man in a white van offers her a ride. Feeling uneasy, Annie declines despite her exhaustion and continues walking alone, determined to reach Dom’s workplace.