Movie review: The Fallout
Cecilia Fountain
Directed by Megan Park
“The Fallout” Is a movie where a horror and tragedy take place in a school.
The movie follows a girl who deals with and tries to navigate the aftermath or fallout of a school shooting at her school. This movie portrays the harsh and vulnerable impact that something this horrifying would have on different students. Some, like Nick Feinstein, played by Will Ropp, shoot into “activism mode” and start advocating and protesting against gun violence. Mia Reed, played by Maddie Ziegler, shuts down and doesn’t leave her home. And finally, Vada Cavell, played by Jenna Ortega, becomes emotionally numb. This all too realistic movie hits hard. The movie does not shy away from addressing hard and uncomfortable questions like what parents would do, what kids would act like, and how they would cope with a tragedy like a school shooting.
Jenna Ortega takes the lead role to a whole new level through her realistic and personal acting. Since I’m a teenager myself, the movie was very relatable. The feeling that she portrayed of numbness keeps you curious throughout the whole movie.
One of the main things I particularly liked about the movie was that it didn’t have a clear happy ending. The aftereffect of something this tragic can’t just be tied up in a bow and have a perfect ending. They’re everlasting. This does not mean that there was an abrupt stop either. The director did an excellent job of showing that the character may be able to get better and work through their trauma, but not that it just goes away.
With a topic this realistic and impactful, I didn’t have a lot of hope that they would capture what it truly felt like. I was happily disproven. Megan Park turned these characters into someone whom I could truly feel for. So if you have an hour and a half to spare, I would highly recommend watching the fallout.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/27/movies/the-fallout-review.html
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11847410/
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_fallout_2021