
The Fallout
By Monique Jones,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Poignant drama shows impact, aftermath of school shooting.

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The Fallout
Community Reviews
Based on 6 parent reviews
AWSOME FOR KIDS
Solid acting, diverse cast in realistic film based on a school shooting
What's the Story?
In THE FALLOUT, Vada Cavell (Jenna Ortega) is an average high school student -- until a school shooting occurs and she finds herself latching onto fellow students Mia (Maddie Ziegler) and Quinton (Niles Fitch) afterward. Vada and Mia become particularly close, helping each other with their grief. But when Vada realizes that she's not handling her emotions in a healthy way, she struggles to find relief.
Is It Any Good?
Ths poignant examination of grief and survivor's guilt makes an emotional case for gun safety by giving audiences a first-hand look at what happens to teens who experience a school shooting. The Fallout does a great job of showing how messy grief can be, including the moments of stalling out, making mistakes, hurting others, and feeling lost and alone. Vada is extremely relatable in a haunting way, especially since her character shows the devastation that a needless crime can cause. The film makes the most compelling case since the documentary Us Kids for why legislation aimed at stopping school shootings is necessary.
Other characters, including Mia, Quinton, (Will Ropp) and Vada's sister, Amelia (Lumi Pollack), demonstrate the different ways that people can be affected by tragedy. And although Vada and Mia are the main characters (and their stories are convincingly realistic), you could argue that Nick and Quinton's stories are even more compelling. Nick uses his grief to become a gun-control activist, echoing the experiences of the real-life students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. And Quinton saw his brother die in front of him, making him the only main character to lose a family member in the shooting. But his story doesn't get as much play as it probably should, given that he's likely going through the most intense version of trauma and grief among the key characters -- and, in fact, he's written as the most stable and the least affected of them all. In light of how many Black people have experienced the effects of gun violence, it would have made more sense for the film to give Quinton a wider range of emotions to express. Instead, he verges on the cliche of Black characters (and, by extension, Black people in real life) being more emotionally opaque and "strong." All of that said, Fitch does a great job portraying Quinton and making him likable. Overall, The Fallout gives viewers a first-hand look at what kids across the country have, tragically, either gone through or fear going through at school. It drives home the point that no gun is worth more than a child's life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way The Fallout depicts the school shooting and its aftermath. How does the shooting affect Vada at first? How does she try to manage her grief? How do she and Mia help each other?
How are Quinton and Nick represented in the film? What examples of positive representation did you notice?
Why is it important for Vada to learn about communication? How do the characters demonstrate empathy and compassion?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: January 27, 2022
- Cast: Jenna Ortega , Maddie Ziegler , Niles Fitch , Will Ropp , Lumi Pollack
- Director: Megan Park
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors, Black actors
- Studio: HBO Max
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Friendship
- Character Strengths: Communication , Compassion , Empathy
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language throughout, and teen drug and alcohol use
- Last updated: November 2, 2023
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