The Fallout (2021)
Written and Directed by Megan Park
Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, Lumi Pollack, John Ortiz, Julie Bowen, Shailene Woodley.
During a normal day of school, standoffish Vada (Ortega) gets a phonecall from her little sister Amelia (Pollack) which pulls her out of class. Heading to the toilet just after, she notices one of the ‘it’ girls Mia (Ziegler) who she begins to strike up a conversation with, when a shooting occurs. They hide in one of the stalls, and are soon joined by the hiding Quinton (Fitch). The shooter is soon taken down, and the day is saved.
The weeks that follow, Vada becomes closed off to her parents (Ortiz and Bowen), and shuts out her best friend Nick (Ropp). As she and Mia went through their trauma together, they become close friends, and try to help each other through their grief.
The movie mainly deals with Vada’s relationships with those in her life; those she had before the incident (her parents, and younger sister) as well as her best friend Nick. Then those she met due to the incident; Mia and Quinton. Each of these characters has their own impact on her, and they all have their individual moments with her to help her find herself once again.
Quite confronting film that hits the ground running with the ‘event’ happening within the first ten minutes. While the ‘event’ is not seen, it is merely heard – what the girls go through (as well as Quinton – who loses his brother in the attack) is both brilliantly shot, within the claustrophobic bathroom stall, and brilliantly acted by the three cast members.
Watching this as an outsider to American culture, I can’t fathom what it would be like to be an American school student – and would not wish what these characters go through on my worst enemy. But as it does happen so frequently it is such a devastating situation for all involved.
There were some actions Vada takes in the middle of the film that I thought were a little out of left field – but this could also be my own age/gender not associating with the character.
I would advise that if you were to watch this, it has very confronting scenes in it, but it is worth the watch, and has some pretty impressive performances in it.
3.5/5