The Fallout

HBO Max | Release Date (Streaming): January 27, 2022

6.9	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 54 Ratings

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ZanemorrowusaJan 29, 2022

A emotional and touching film that hits deep and shows a portrayal of teenagers thats more accurate than most shows and movies made today.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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KylofilmFeb 3, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Fallout hit at a bunch of festivals in 2020 to wide acclaim by many critics, so it was one of the most anticipated films for me. Luckily it came to HBO Max today, so i watched it with high expectations but they were exceeded.

The Fallout is the most heartbreaking film i have seen in a long time as it deals with themes of depression and trauma in different ways. The film has a very uniquely intrinsic way of weaving through character emotions, without feeling cheesy or tiresome.

Vada is played by Jenna Ortega who i wish is eligible for the Actress Oscar this year cos she nailed it. Her trauma is justified and Jenna depicts this in the bets way she ever could. Maddie Ziegler was great too, but didnt have as much urgency as Jenna with her performance. The themes of this film are some of the most difficult to depict in a film such as school shootings, but Megan Park understood the asignment. She weaves inbetween the themes like a car through heavy traffic in rush hour, it was fantastic. The underlying theme of socialism was very interesting to me as it was done in a non-evident way. Social life is important to Mia (Maddie Ziegler), so this tragedy ruined it for her, but it worked in her favour cos she became best friends with Vada (Jenna Ortega). Vada is the opposite; a character who only has one friend before Mia, who has a passion to change lives which she later mentions. Its also a deconstruction of the Gen Z era, as it shows how social media can affect them. Tik Tok and Instagram are used in the film by the characters, especially Mia and Amelia (Vada sister). Mia is a very propular presence on Instagram, but beneath that, she is a nervously reserved person after the event which is where she connects with Vada.

Dialogue is hard to write for Gen Z characters as it needs to sound natural and has to sound relateable for them, and Megan Park writes with precision. She understands how teens speak in this day in age and how they use social media, then writes relatable dialogue which anyone can understand. One of the things that makes this film so special is the characters discovery of identity and happiness. Vada is very confused in her feelings as she discusses with her therapist, who guides her through her grief.

As somebody with depression and anxiety, i could relate to them in ways which i cant with other movies. They glide through emotions in amazing ways, which i feel often cos i never know how to feel myself. Vada describes how numb she feels, of which they depicted incredibly well through her tremors and facial movements.

I was crying on several occasions as the film feels very raw in its execution of trauma which most people have been through. The trauma i have been through is not nearly as bad as theirs, but it affected me in many ways of which were present here. I wanna speak about the ending as i feel it is very important for this review. SPOILER

Vada finally starts to accept the past trauma, but as soon as the light is at the end of the tunnel, it fades again. She gets a notification from the news stating that 12 people were killed in the shooting which she was a survivor of. She starts crying and hyperventilating then it fades to white. This scene really hit me hard as i didnt expect it to happen, almost like a huge misdirect. Overall, The Fallout is another knockout to 2022's fatastic resume of films so far. It is a sudden burst of emotion which hits you like a dumptruck in so many different occassions and i cant recommend this film enough, bu t just be warned of its subject matter before watching… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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heyitskaitlinbJan 30, 2022

such a raw and beautiful film. I wanted to hug every single character and tell them everything will be okay eventually.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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benjanzenFeb 28, 2022

The Fallout is a relevant and honest portrayal of not just an all too common tragedy in our world today but the different ways in which it affects those involved. It's clear when watching that this is the directorial debut of Megan Park, asThe Fallout is a relevant and honest portrayal of not just an all too common tragedy in our world today but the different ways in which it affects those involved. It's clear when watching that this is the directorial debut of Megan Park, as it has a somewhat messy start, but it flows much better as it goes along. Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, and Lumi Pollack are all really great here.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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bfoore90Jan 28, 2022

I really liked this film. It gives a look at the victims who don't get the publicity that others do and how a tragedy like this could affect them.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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thedarkbirdJan 28, 2022

A debut simply very well done. There are some minor shortcomings of scenes that feel a little bit out of place or could be done better, but apart from these nit-pickings it's just a great movie. It's a drama, a fierce drama even the firstA debut simply very well done. There are some minor shortcomings of scenes that feel a little bit out of place or could be done better, but apart from these nit-pickings it's just a great movie. It's a drama, a fierce drama even the first minutes in, but it's well balanced overall with room for some good laughs as well. Emotional, but not overly so like is often the case in this genre. I generally don't like drama's, but I liked this one. Recommended.… Expand

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Jerm2Jul 1, 2022

Well acted and a fantastic movie, with an all too familiar reality of today.

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WolfbatzD20Jan 2, 2023

The film leaves more questions than answers, but through its strong cast and how it's portrayed from the beginning to the end, it's one of the few films where it should leave its audience to think.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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