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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
Promotional release poster
Directed byMegan Park
Written byMegan Park
Produced by
  • Shaun Sanghani
  • David Brown
  • Giulia Prenna
  • Joannie Burstein
  • Rebecca Miller
  • Cara Shine
  • Todd Lundbohm
Starring
CinematographyKristen Correll
Edited byJennifer Lee
Music byFinneas O'Connell
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • March 17, 2021 (2021-03-17) (SXSW)
  • January 27, 2022 (2022-01-27) (United States)
Running time
92 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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).

Plot

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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.

Following the incident, it's revealed that at least 16 students were killed, and Vada has become depressed and isolated from her family, as well as her best friend Nick. She cannot bring herself to enter the bathroom where she hid and wets 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 session with her therapist, Anna, 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.

Cast

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Production

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In February 2020, it was announced Jenna Ortega had joined the cast of the film, with Megan Park directing from a screenplay she wrote.[2] In April 2020, Maddie Ziegler joined the cast of the film.[3] In May 2020, Will Ropp joined the cast of the film.[4] In August 2020, Niles Fitch, Shailene Woodley, Julie Bowen and John Ortiz joined the cast of the film.[5][6]

Filming was slated to begin in March 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal photography began in Los Angeles[6] in August 2020[7] and wrapped on September 11, 2020.[8] In February 2021, it was announced that Finneas O'Connell would be scoring the film, marking his first film composing debut.[9] WaterTower Music has released the soundtrack.[10]

Release

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In December 2020, Universal Pictures acquired international distribution rights to the film.[11] The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 17, 2021.[12] 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.[13] It was released on HBO Max on January 27, 2022.

Reception

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Critical response

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Ortega's performance was praised by critics, many of whom called it her breakthrough film role.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 68 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Empathetic and well-acted, The Fallout uses the aftermath of trauma to grapple with the experience of grief."[14] 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".[15] 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".[16]

Park's direction and Ortega's acting were both praised,[17] and several critics cite it as Ortega's "breakout" film role.[18][19] 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".[20] Peter Debruge of Variety called the film a "stellar debut" from Park and noted that "Ortega in particular seems to have found her voice."[19] 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".[21]

Audience viewership

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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.[22]

Accolades

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Award Date of Ceremony Category Recipient Result Ref.
South by Southwest Film Festival March 19, 2021 Narrative Feature Competition Grand Jury Award The Fallout Won [23]
Brightcove Illumination Award Megan Park Won
March 23, 2021 Narrative Feature Competition Audience Award The Fallout Won [24]
Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards July 1, 2022 Best Actress Jenna Ortega Nominated [25]
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards August 14, 2022 Best Streaming Movie The Fallout Nominated [26]
Austin Film Critics Association January 10, 2023 Breakthrough Artist Award Jenna Ortega (also nominee for X, Scream and Studio 666) Won [27]
GLAAD Media Awards March 30, 2023 Outstanding Film - Streaming Or TV The Fallout Nominated [28]

References

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  1. ^ "The Fallout". South by Southwest. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 22, 2020). "'You' Star Jenna Ortega To Lead Cast In High-School Drama 'The Fallout' From Writer-Director Megan Park – EFM". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  3. ^ Galuppo, Mia (April 17, 2020). "Maddie Ziegler Joins Jenna Ortega in Teen Drama 'The Fallout' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  4. ^ Day-Ramos, Dino (May 18, 2020). "Lexy Kolker Joins 'Manifest West', 'The Fallout' Adds Will Ropp". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 14, 2020). "'This Is Us' Actor Niles Fitch Joins Jenna Ortega In 'The Fallout'". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (August 31, 2020). "'The Fallout': Shailene Woodley, Julie Bowen & John Ortiz Join Jenna Ortega & Maddie Ziegler In High School Drama Filming In LA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  7. ^ Megan Park [@meganparkithere] (August 11, 2020). "I started directing my first feature film last week. It's also world breastfeeding week so I thought this picture of me pumping and eating a lactation cookie in between set ups was fitting. Pumping/feeding while working is really hard but women are gd queens and we can do it all?! I'm proud of us?! ❤️🤭😷". Retrieved March 19, 2021 – via Instagram.
  8. ^ Rebecca Miller [@checkaboo] (September 12, 2020). "That's a wrap on @the_fallout_movie! Can't wait to share this one. Worked with truly the best cast and crew who worked so hard while masked during a pandemic to bring this to life. This is the closest we all got to each other in the last month. Lol. Thank You". Retrieved March 19, 2021 – via Instagram.
  9. ^ Hampp, Andrew (February 10, 2021). "Finneas Preps First Film Score With High School Drama 'The Fallout' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  10. ^ "The Fallout (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) WaterTower Music". The Fallout (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) WaterTower Music. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  11. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (December 8, 2020). "Universal Taking All International Rights To 'The Fallout' Starring Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Shailene Woodley, Niles Fitch & Julie Bowen". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  12. ^ Day-Ramos, Dino (February 10, 2021). "SXSW Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup; Charli XCX Quarantine Feature To Close Fest; Tom Petty Docu Set As Centerpiece". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  13. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 27, 2021). "Warner Bros Takes Global On SXSW Multi-Award Winner 'The Fallout' For HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  14. ^ "The Fallout". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 29, 2023.  
  15. ^ Erbland, Kate (March 17, 2021). "Megan Park's Heartbreaking School Shooting Drama 'The Fallout' Reorients Trauma for the Instagram Generation". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  16. ^ "The Fallout | SXSW 2021 Film Review". The Hollywood Outsider – Film and Television Podcast | Reviews. March 24, 2021. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "'The Fallout': Film Review | SXSW 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. March 17, 2021. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  18. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (January 18, 2022). "'The Fallout' Trailer: Jenna Ortega Stars in School Shooting Drama for the Instagram Age". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Debruge, Peter (March 17, 2021). "'The Fallout' Review: Megan Park Takes the Pulse of a Shell-Shocked Generation". Variety. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  20. ^ Linde, Sheri (March 17, 2021). "'The Fallout': Film Review | SXSW 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  21. ^ Mike Reyes (January 18, 2022). "Jenna Ortega And Maddie Ziegler Bond Over Shared Trauma In HBO Max's The Fallout Trailer". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  22. ^ "The Fallout, Ozark Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  23. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 19, 2021). "SXSW Film Festival: 'The Fallout' And Docu 'Lily Topples The World' Among Jury Award Winners". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  24. ^ "'Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free' Wins SXSW Audience Award". TheWrap. March 23, 2021. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "The 5th Annual HCA Midseason Awards Nominations – Hollywood Critics Association". Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  26. ^ Schneider, Michael (July 7, 2022). "'Severance,' 'Ted Lasso' Lead Streaming Nominees for 2nd Annual HCA TV Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  27. ^ "2022 Austin Film Critics Association Award Nominations". Austin Film Critics Association. January 3, 2022. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  28. ^ Jones, Marcus (January 18, 2023). "2023 GLAAD Media Awards Full Film and TV Nominations: 'Bros,' 'TÁR,' 'EEAAO,' and More". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
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