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.
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
Critical response
Ortega's performance was praised by critics, many of whom called it her breakthrough film role.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 70 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
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]
^"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.
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