Jenna Ortega plays Vada Cavell, a spunky, well-adjusted schoolgirl. One day, whilst at school, she drops what she's doing to take a call from her little sister, Amelia, in the toilets. Whilst there, she bumps into Mia (played by Maddie Ziegler), a popular and seemingly distant person, locked into her dancing activities.
While they are in there, the sound of screaming and gunfire erupts in the building within earshot. The two of them suddenly panic, realising what must be going on, and lock themselves into a cubicle together. They are soon joined by Quinton (played by Niles Fitch), who runs in covered in his brother’s blood. The three of them huddle together, terrified and silent, for several minutes while the shooting occurs off-screen.
The incident passes, but in the weeks following the tragedy, Vada is unable to return to normal. She becomes emotionally detached from her family - her supportive mother, dappy father and confused younger sister. However, Vada and Mia form an intense bond following that shared, panic-laden experience, becoming accidental friends. They feel they are the only ones who really understand each other.
Things go from bad to worse as Vada begins experimenting with ecstasy and alcohol to cope with her mounting anxiety. She and Mia eventually share a romantic moment, though it’s more of a desperate attempt to feel something - anything - rather than a traditional romance. While Vada's friend Nick becomes an activist for gun control, Vada feels guilty because she is stuck where she is and cannot find the strength to do anything helpful.
Vada’s repression eventually cracks and, after a series of reckless decisions and a big argument where she accidentally scares Amelia, Vada finally has a breakdown with her father. He takes her to an open field where they scream at the top of their lungs, allowing her to release some of the pent-up terror. She begins to reconnect with her family and starts seeing a therapist. She also agrees with Mia that while their bond is forever, they need to find a way to live in the real world again.
This layered film is hauntingly realistic and Ortega is powerful and convincing in the lead. It's certainly more of an emotional character study than a straight story, but it deals with a topic which seems to be more of a problem as time goes on, particularly in the 'free' West. Makes you wonder, eh. It's poignant, dark and thoughtful - and alongside Ortega, the whole cast do a great job in support.
Not showing the violence was a masterstroke, I reckon, as it gives the audience a close-up, first-hand insight into the tension, anxiety and terror that would be felt by anyone thrown into that situation. The script is great and the original score, by Finneas O'Connell (Billie Eilish's brother), is certainly worthy of inclusion. The Fallout is very much about what happens after such an event and why survivors need support.
The end of the film provides a surprise but says a lot about the situation too. How can people be expected to move on? Can they really ever get 'closure'? Or should people, as per the old-fashioned 'stiff upper lip' mentality, pull themselves together and 'get over it'? However you view that, this makes for an interesting film, even if you're only in it, at the outset, like me, to gaze upon pint-sized cutie Jenna!
Now for the bad news - it's one of those 'locked-into-America' films which is quite difficult to get hold of. It’s five years old now and has had limited release outside of the USA. You might have to resort to importing the DVD or scouring eBay, heading for a VPN, the BFI Player, Mubi or waiting for it to turn up on terrestrial TV. I wish they wouldn't do that! Let us all enjoy it easily, sooner rather than later, please!
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