Coming-of-Age in the Wake of Tragedy, The Fallout on HBO Max is a female coming-of-age story after a school shooting. In the United States, there is an unfortunate truth: the threat of school shootings within American schools is on the rise. In 2021 alone, there were forty-two acts of gun violence, which is the highest number recorded since 1999. The previous record was thirty shootings in one year, and it is estimated that 34,000 students, from kindergarten to high school, were exposed to gun violence. Survivors have used their grief as a force for change, but many students still struggle with the aftermath of what they lived through. The Fallout seeks to contextualize the trauma and violence imposed by the survivors, thus making something beautiful, raw, and emotional out of a horrific tragedy. The movie premiered in 2021 at South by Southwest in 2021, and it was a hit with critics. There, at the festival, it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Choice Award in the Narrative Film Competition, and the Brightcove Illumination Award. The wide release was delayed until its launch on HBO Max in January 2022. The movie's haunting score was created by Finneas O'Connell, the brother of the singer Billie Eilish. The Fallout may be Megan Park's directorial debut, but it engages with a depth of emotional maturity and authenticity that more seasoned directors may struggle to replicate in their work. When a school shooting occurs, it affects everyone affiliated with the school, whether parents, students or an entire community. Grief and coping cannot be contained to one singular mode or method, and when empathy fails, relationships come and go. It may be difficult to try and move on, but it will be a lifelong journey of healing, not something that can occur in a month. As days, months, and even years pass by,Perhaps The Fallout is a movie that engages and embraces the experiences and fears of Generation Z, although many in this cohort may not have been personally touched by gun violence. There is, however, the pervasive fear of what can happen, and that is what does happen in this film. These girls survived the unthinkable, but what comes after, the guilt of surviving and finding out how to navigate this new world, is unfathomable. Park gave a voice beyond the shooting, offering life and recovery in the face of hardship.
Review of The Fallout
