The Fallout is a 2021 American teen drama film written and directed by Megan Park in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Jenna Ortega as Vada Cavell, a high school student who navigates significant emotional trauma following a school shooting. The film also stars Maddie Ziegler, Julie Bowen, John Ortiz, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, and Shailene Woodley in supporting roles. The score is composed by American musician and actor Finneas O'Connell.
The Fallout had its premiere at South by Southwest on March 17, 2021, and was released on January 27, 2022 on HBO Max by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. It received acclaim from critics, who praised the directing, screenplay, and O'Connell's score, and lauded Ortega's performance. At South by Southwest, it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize in the Narrative Feature Film Competition, the Audience Choice Award in the Narrative Feature Competition, and the Brightcove Illumination Award.
High school student Vada goes to the bathroom in the middle of class after her younger sister Amelia calls her when she has her first period. While in the bathroom, a school shooting happens, and Vada hides in a stall with her schoolmates Mia, a dancer, and Quinton, whose brother is killed in the shooting. In the weeks following the incident, Vada's trauma causes her to become depressed and isolated from her family. She also withdraws from her best friend Nick, since she cannot relate to the gun control activism he has been spurred to do in the aftermath. Instead, she becomes closer to Mia and begins to spend more and more time at the latter's house.
At her parents' behest, Vada attends therapy and returns to school, but finds the ordeal uncomfortable. She cannot bring herself to enter the bathroom where she hid, resulting in her peeing her pants when she hears the sound of a soda can being crushed. In order to cope with the stress, she takes ecstasy, resulting in Nick having to help her through the resulting high. After another night of drinking, Vada and Mia kiss and have sex. She and Nick argue about her poor coping mechanisms, resulting in Vada venting to Quinton and then trying to kiss him. Quinton gently rejects her, as he is not emotionally ready for a relationship yet. She withdraws further from her family and friends, including Mia.
Later, Amelia admits to Vada that she assumed Vada resented her for the phone call that had put her in more danger. Vada assures her that that is not the case, and the two make up. Vada reconnects emotionally with both of her parents, and reconciles with Mia, with the two of them agreeing to move forward as friends. By her next therapy session, Vada has made genuine progress in coming to terms with what happened, though she admits that she and Nick might not reconcile.
Vada waits for Mia outside the latter's dance class. She receives a notification on her phone about another school shooting elsewhere in the country, and has a panic attack.
Cast[]
Jenna Ortega as Vada Cavell
Maddie Ziegler as Mia Reed
Niles Fitch as Quinton Hasland
Will Ropp as Nick Feinstein
Lumi Pollack as Amelia Cavell
John Ortiz as Carlos Cavell
Julie Bowen as Patricia Cavell
Shailene Woodley as Anna
Christine Horn as Mrs. Victor
Austin Zajur as Dan Bonavure
Yindra Zayas as Megan
Production[]
In February 2020, it was announced Jenna Ortega had joined the cast of the film, with Megan Park directing from a screenplay she wrote. In April 2020, Maddie Ziegler joined the cast of the film. In May 2020, Will Ropp joined the cast of the film. In August 2020, Niles Fitch, Shailene Woodley, Julie Bowen and John Ortiz joined the cast of the film.
Filming was slated to begin in March 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal photography began in Los Angeles in August 2020 and wrapped on September 11, 2020. In February 2021, it was announced that Finneas O'Connell would be scoring the film. WaterTower Music has released the soundtrack.
Release[]
In December 2020, Universal Pictures acquired international distribution rights to the film. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 17, 2021. In July 2021, HBO Max acquired distribution rights to the film, with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing in territories where HBO Max is not available. It was released on HBO Max on January 27, 2022.
Reception[]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 7.90/10. The site's consensus reads, "Empathetic and well-acted, The Fallout uses the aftermath of teen trauma to grapple with the experience of grief." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "sensitive and piercing" and praised Park's screenplay and direction, the performances and Finneas' score. Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a rating of B+ and said the film tackles "real emotional stakes in the gloss of social media, unearthing something powerful in the process."
Park's direction and Ortega's acting were both praised, and several critics cite it as Ortega's "breakout" film role. Peter Debruge of Variety called the film a "stellar debut" from Park and noted that "Ortega in particular seems to have found her voice." Amanda Sink of The Hollywood Outsider called the film "a remarkable film that explores the ramifications of tragedy on our adolescents and how the human conditional response is not a one-size-fits-all." The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "...Ortega's beautifully nuanced turn understands the nothing-to-look-at-here façade and the chinks in the armor." Variety magazine described Vada as her breakthrough film role, writing that "Ortega in particular seems to have found her voice." CinemaBlend additionally praised the chemistry between her and Ziegler, and stated that the "two girls at the center of it all also look phenomenal, as a true bond can be sensed in the process of bringing this story to life."
Audience viewership[]
On the week of its release, The Fallout was the number one most-watched streaming original film in the United States, as reported by TV Time.
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