*Spoiler warning*
*Trigger Warning: Mentions of shootings, gun violence*
The Tragedy
The Fallout is a compelling yet devastating movie that reveals the many issues facing Gen Z today, including a culture of school shootings and patronizing government leaders. It’s a cinematographic portrayal of a lingering feeling that “nobody understands” amidst facing an unfathomable tragedy.
The movie follows an unexpected friendship formed in the aftermath of a tragic school shooting. Trauma, pain, and nightmares consume protagonist Vada (Jenna Ortega) and her peers as they painstakingly make it through each day in a shattered world. A world in which a culture of school shootings and gun violence is normalized, as are the scarred memories combined with the loud silence of those in power who refuse to ban gun ownership. A world that doesn’t stray far from the reality of students in America today, where safety is never a guarantee and active shooter drills have become routine.
“It’s not okay. We want change. We deserve to feel safe going to our own school every day.” These words play on the news as Vada watches the aftermath of the events at her school unfold. These are words that gun reform activists scream into the air, only to be blatantly ignored by those in power. This movie reminded me of February 2018. It reminded me of former Parkland student, X Gonzáles standing in front of a podium on February 17, 2018, just three days after the Parkland school shooting, repeating those three powerful words: “We call bullshit.” It reminded me of the school walkouts on March 14, 2018 to protest the senseless, preventable gun violence in schools. It reminded me of the infectious fear that crawled through the halls of high schools, of the designated hiding spots I chose in classrooms. It reminded me of the cursed reality we students continue to face, and the government’s dismissal of our pain in the name of the outdated and dangerous second amendment.
Moving Onward
Vada is a lovable, relatable, iced-coffee obsessed, self-described “low-key” girl. Mia (Maddie Ziegler) is a famous Instagram dancer who nobody knows but everybody loves to wonder about. Once distant classmates, Vada and Mia became forever bonded as they hide in the bathroom together at their school as gunshots were fired. They then spent the days after the shooting trying to figure out how to cope with the unimaginable. Together they drink wine, have sleepovers, do face masks, and smoke weed – all in an attempt to find joy even in the midst of unthinkable pain.
When Vada returns to school, she walks through metal detectors and goes to class to hear lessons reinforcing what students should do in the case of an active shooter. The lighting in the classroom is dark and somber, and Vada and her classmates look beyond exhausted. Vada looks up to see the classroom screen display the words, “Run, hide, fight” as the young students are taught how to protect themselves in the case of another school shooting. With intense music playing, Vada walks out of class to go to the bathroom, which evokes memories of gunshots echoing through the halls. As she walks down the stairs and hears the sound of a Coca-Cola can being crushed, she shudders and calls herself a “dumb fucking bitch” for reacting to a soda can.
The soda can. The metal detectors. The active-shooter drill preparation. How can students expect to return to school when the wounds are still so fresh?
Vada’s little sister Amelia worships the ground she walks on. At the start of the movie Amelia texted “911” to Vada, which prompted Vada to go to the bathroom. Amelia had called her to tell her she had gotten her period. The shooting happened shortly after, and Amelia now struggles to connect with her older sister as everything is so different after the shooting. As the movie progresses, so does their ever-evolving relationship, remaining empowered through the wonders of sisterhood.
Vada forms a friendship with Quinton (Niles Fitch), who lost his brother in the shooting. Quinton and Vada watch shitty movies together, poke fun at one another, and never fail to make each other smile. In the car one day, Vada turns to Quinton and says, “Tell me about your brother.” Quinton responds with a smile on his face and tells Vada about his brother having the best sense of humor. “I know he’s still with me,” Quinton says.
Vada begins attending therapy, as per her mother’s request. At first Vada constantly made jokes, using humor to conceal her pain. Towards the end of the movie, Vada tells her therapist, “All of these kids from my school… they’ve been able to take what happened, and are literally using it to change the world. Like, they’re doing so much amazing stuff. For some reason, I feel like I’m unable to do that.” Grief, healing, and processing are not the same for anybody, and the way one person reacts to a tragedy could be entirely different than another.
“I’m mad,” Vada tells her therapist. The ending scene cuts to Vada waiting for Mia to come out of dance class. She receives a notification: “Twelve students confirmed dead in Ohio high school shooting.” The cycle of violence is never-ending and continues to perpetuate itself as youth are left in the dust, mourning, crying, yelling, screaming, yearning for someone to finally listen when we say the words, “I’m mad.”