“The Fallout,” released on Jan. 27, was written and directed by Megan Park and follows the story of Vada, played by Jena Ortega, after experiencing a school shooting. The film follows the main character Vada and a few of her other friends, Quinton (Niles Fitch), Mia (Maddie Ziegler) and her long-term best friend Will (Nick Feinstein). We see them all struggle to come to terms with the tragic events and all of the emotions that come after. “The Fallout” is a much-needed movie in the times we live in, as we see how different people react in the aftermath of tragedy. We witness Vada and Mia abuse substances such as drugs and alcohol to avoid processing the tragedy and as a method of coping. Throughout the movie, we also see the characters Nick, who becomes an activist after the tragic event, and Quinton, who is dealing with the loss of his brother who died during the shooting.
The acting in this movie was shockingly amazing, as I had my doubts about Maddie Ziegler playing in a movie with such a heavy tone. My main gripe with the movie is that it felt empty, and I can’t see myself watching the movie again because of this. There are many parts of this movie that just leave you wanting more. We don’t really see anything that Nick or Quinton are going through in the aftermath of the tragedy, which is really strange considering the trailer heavily implies that we were going to see a bond between them. There are many moments in the movie that shine as they showcase how tragedy can affect a person moving forward. Vada pushes her family and long-time best friend away, and we also see her struggle with PTSD causing her to be afraid of entering the school bathroom where she hid during the events that took place. Overall, I must applaud the movie for its handling of the heavy subject of school shootings and the subsequent effects that they might have on a person.
