10/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars

Everyone grieves differently, but when a traumatizing experience happens unexpectedly, it’s understandable that some may struggle to cope and are only able to suppress their feelings. Writer/Director Megan Park’s feature length debut The Fallout examines grief in wake of a school shooting through the eyes of two teenage girls, Vada (Jenna Ortega) and Mia (Maddie Ziegler), and how Park tackles their story is stunning.

By keeping the horror and violence off-camera, Park finds a respectful yet impactful way to depict The Fallout’s inciting event. Hearing the gunshots and seeing the fear on Vada and Mia’s faces as they hide in a bathroom stall is all audiences need to feel the dread that exists in this terrifying scenario. Reality sets in after a panicked student, Quinton (Niles Fitch), runs in and hides in the stall with them. The sight of blood on his shirt and sound of police sirens confirms the gravity of their situation.

Following the aftermath, Vada is no longer the fun, carefree soul she used to be. She is void of any feeling. Mia is the same. Through this shared experience though, their relationship grows stronger and Vada begins to lose touch with her best friend Nick (Will Ropp). Surviving a school shooting has sprung him into activism, becoming the face of a movement against gun violence. Vada feels guilty that she can’t be more like Nick, wishing she could ‘switch into a different mode’, and therein lies an internal conflict that gives room for the film’s young performers to shine.

Jenna Ortega’s performance, in fact, carries the film by truly grounding her character in the reality of what Vera has experienced. Her struggle to process her emotions feels so genuine, determined to make everyone around her believe she is doing okay when in reality, she’s burdened with an indescribable web of emotions. Ortega’s stardom is on the rise, having recently starred in Scream, with upcoming roles in high profile releases like Wednesday, X, and Studio 666. Ortega is the moment, but even more so, the future.

From the bright vintage clothing to the bubble pop music, The Fallout captures the spirit of Gen-Z life, but maybe not always in the best ways. Some jokes didn’t land and seem more appropriate for a teen soap opera like Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl. But it’s not the small details that define the experience of The Fallout, it’s Park’s overall ability to convey the guilt left on the survivors of gun violence and how the pain remains long after.

Depicting the coldness of lonely days dragging out to weeks, then a month, and the sickening feeling that nothing has changed. The editing captures depression's cyclical nature. Indulging in drugs and alcohol to numb everything out, feeling worse after the fact, and repeating over and over. Following that series of anger and depression, our main characters are finally able to settle into acceptance. The film is painful, but reigns true for many young adults struggling to put their life together after tragedy. It dives into the damage and trauma teenagers in this day and age have to live with. It’s honest in the most gut wrenching way.

As of December 2021 there have been 249 school shootings since 1970. A number that continues to rise. And yet there has been no affirmative solution to keep guns out of schools. Just reactionary attempts to capitalize off the violence that often miss the root of the problem. This is the devastatingly undeniable truth teens have to face. The Fallout gives its audience a safe space to look in on this reality, feel the pain, talk about it openly, and hopefully inspire a way of overcoming it.

The Fallout is now available to watch on HBOMax.

REVIEW: "The Fallout"; 249 And Counting