The Fallout (film)

The Fallout is a 2021 American drama film written and directed by Megan Park in her feature film directorial debut. It stars Jenna Ortega as Vada Cavell, a high school student who navigates significant emotional trauma following a school shooting. It 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 premiered at South by Southwest on March 17, 2021, and was released on January 27, 2022 on HBO Max by New Line Cinema (via Warner Bros. Pictures). It received acclaim from critics, who praised its directing, screenplay and score, and lauded Ortega's performance.

Plot
High school student Vada goes to the restroom in the middle of class after her little sister Amelia calls her when she has her first period. While she is in the bathroom, a school shooting occurs. Vada hides in a stall with her schoolmates Mia and Quinton, whose brother is killed in the shooting.

In the weeks following the incident, Vada becomes depressed and isolated from her family and best friend Nick. She cannot bring herself to enter the bathroom where she hid, resulting in her wetting her pants when she hears the sound of a soda can being crushed. In order to cope with her trauma, she takes ecstasy, and Nick has to help her through the resulting high. After another night of drinking, Mia tells Vada that she is falling in love with her, and they have sex.

Vada and Nick argue about her poor coping mechanisms, resulting in her venting to Quinton and then trying to kiss him, who gently rejects her as he is not emotionally ready for a relationship. 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 reconnect. Vada reconciles with her parents and Mia. 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.

As Vada waits for Mia outside the latter's dance class, she receives a notification on her phone about a shooting at another school, and has a panic attack.

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, marking his first film composing debut. 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 New Line Cinema distributing in territories where HBO Max is not available via parent company Warner Bros. Pictures. It was released on HBO Max on January 27, 2022.

Critical response
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 84 out of 100, based on 12 critics. Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave a rating of B+ and said the film tackles "real emotional stakes in the gloss of social media, unearthing something powerful in the process". Amanda Sink of The Hollywood Outsider called the film "a remarkable film that explores the ramifications of tragedy on our kids and how the human conditional response is not a one-size-fits-all".

Park's direction and Ortega's acting were both praised, and several critics cite it as Ortega's "breakout" film role. Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "sensitive and piercing" and praised Park's screenplay and direction, the performances and Finneas' score, and wrote that "...Ortega's beautifully nuanced turn understands the nothing-to-look-at-here façade and the chinks in the armor". Peter Debruge of Variety called the film a "stellar debut" from Park and noted that "Ortega in particular seems to have found her voice." CinemaBlend praised the chemistry between Ortega 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.