disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

[SXSW 2021] THE FALLOUT -- A Cheap Film About Coping with Tragedy

3/25/2021

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Winner of the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature at this year’s SXSW, Megan Park’s drama The Fallout really wants to be something special, but instead ends up feeling cheap and ineffective. Although the performances are strong, the script fumbles its weighty themes in a way that is consistently frustrating.

The film tells the story of a teenager who, after experiencing a tragedy at school, struggles to cope with the emotional fallout, causing changes to her relationships and psyche. This is a case of a movie that clearly has the best of intentions but ends up defeating itself with lackluster and misguided execution.

There is a fundamental issue with this film, and it is that it seems to care less about the trauma that the protagonist is experiencing and more about the way in which she is acting out because of it. Although there is something to be said about how victims tend to hide away their trauma and put up a facade, this movie doesn’t portray the character much differently than a normal angsty teen.

The film also does a disservice to its supporting characters. There is one character who becomes socially active as a result of his experiences, but for the most part, this is a very one-track depiction of grief and trauma. It fails to explore the differing ways in which people struggle to understand their emotions after a tragedy such as this.
Picture
Thankfully, Park is mostly very sensitive about the way in which she approaches the topic itself. The scene in which the tragedy occurs is short and done in a way that is harrowing without showing too much. Unlike a lot of other movies that have been about school violence, this one didn’t come across as exploitative or opportunist.

There is one highlight in the film, and it is the lead actress, Jenna Ortega. She brings a lot of emotion to a character that isn’t particularly subtle in the way it is written, still managing to make her feel real despite some of the exaggerated qualities. And in the supporting cast, Shailene Woodley and John Ortiz both do a good job, although their roles are quite small.

On a technical level, the movie shows its small budget, but it can’t be faulted too much for that. However, the lo-fi qualities of the film don’t come together well with the script that is oftentimes a bit heavy-handed, resulting in a feel that is often less than satisfying. A few great scenes aside, the movie feels like a heavily independent production in the worst ways.

The Fallout seems like the type of film that won its honor based on the merit of what it wanted to be rather than what it is. There are definitely some glimpses of greatness in here, but it takes wading through a lot of mediocrity to get there.

The Fallout screened as a part of the online edition of the 2021 SXSW Film Festival, which ran March 16-20.

Rating: 2/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About