Spoiler-Free Review of “The Fallout” on HBO Max: Low Key and Honest Coming-of-Age Story

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“I feel like I’m fine…”

The Fallout released on HBO Max on January 27th 2022. The teen coming-of-age drama stars Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Julie Bowen, Niles Fitch and Shailene Woodley. The film runs for an hour and thirty-five minutes.

After a devastating and traumatic event, Vada begins to reevaluate her life and her relationships. She bonds with new friends and attempts to find a way to cope with her grief one day at a time.

*Please note there are issues of trauma depicted in this film and the viewer advisory at the beginning of the film should be noted.*

Here is the trailer:

The Fallout manages to create an authentic approach to teen trauma as it delivers with its talented cast and emotional content. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Award-worthy performances…

I’m already a huge fan of Jenna Ortega and she is the main reason why I decided to watch this movie. This isn’t the type of film I would normally watch, but I was immediately drawn in by her believable and genuine performance. The other performances were really solid as well.

This subject matter is really delicate and one could easily over-do it, but Jenna Ortega managed to portray her character in such a real and compelling way. It almost felt like you were her friend in real life. It was that believable.

In a lot of ways, the film reminded me of a more emotional Booksmart. It had that same kind of vibe with its simplicity and it worked in the film’s favor.

Depicts real aspects of trauma, recovery, and identity without hitting you over the head.

I’ve seen a lot of coming-of-age films and while some of them have moved me, this one was on another level and the main reason behind that was because of how low-key it was. It addressed a lot of issues that the new generation is dealing with on a daily basis and yet it never seemed like it was preaching at anyone or making assumptions. It was just an honest and emotional story.

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Bold ending.

There will be no spoilers in this review, but the ending of this film really struck a chord with me. This film could have easily ended in one particular way, but instead it went down a different route which was extremely powerful. I think the writer and director absolutely took a big chance with this, but it paid off and really added to the authenticity of the film.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I don’t have any…

This film was as close to perfection as it gets. Every aspect just worked and it truly touched me.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in 100 percent!!!!

Beautiful, genuine, and emotional.

This film really explored the aspects of trauma and recovery in such a powerful way without ever overdoing it. The performances were exceptional and I think this may have just become one of my favorite films of all time!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Fallout in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

Face your fear…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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My performance of the week ending 8/31/19 on TV goes to…

Maura Tierney as Helen Solloway on Showtime’s The Affair.  Helen has always been a fantastic supporting character on the series, but a lot of the attention has previously centered around Alison, Noah, and Cole. With the opening of the final season of the series, Alison and Cole are no longer on the show and I was worried that we would feel a void without them.

Fear not; however, as Maura Tierney reminded us just how compelling and real Helen can be and it’s about time she got her moment in the spotlight.  Please note some spoilers are ahead if you are not up-to-date on the series.  After watching the season 5 premiere, I was left in tears and then some.

Both Ruth Wilson and Joshua Jackson were able to bring tears out of me last year as well with their beyond heartbreaking performances, but there was something so incredibly real and honest about Maura Tierney’s portrayal of Helen in the premiere.  Grief is something that is not easily portrayed.  Sometimes it feels over-the-top and sometimes it feels disingenuous, but somehow my heart was completely breaking for Helen and that was mostly because of how well Maura Tierney performed here.

Helen is used to speaking her mind and she doesn’t care who she offends when she does, which is part of what makes me like her so much.  In fact, some of my absolute favorite moments featuring Helen involve her saying something blunt, but she always comes pretty close to the truth.  In season 4, Helen has this revealing conversation with Alison and I really stopped to think about what she said and how spot on she was with her advice.

When Noah tells Helen that she is resilient in the season 5 premiere, Helen tells him that she had to be because she didn’t have a choice.  But the truth is, Helen is more than resilient.  Through it all, she has been strong, loving, and funny.  She’s a mother of four and she has had to deal with so much after finding out about Vic’s illness, which would probably push anyone over the edge, but somehow Helen is able to keep going, refusing to give up.

Helen has had some hilarious moments on the show, singing loudly and drinking wine in her bedroom and getting pulled over with her foils still in her hair, but in the season 5 premiere, there is this moment of silence where Helen just simply lets go, allowing her thoughts to drift.  This moment of self-reflection is when Helen starts to truly contemplate what has happened and where she is in her life, which was an extremely powerful and heartbreaking scene to watch.

What’s next for Helen?  We’ll have to wait and see, but it looks like she may have a new romantic interest in the near future who Noah will not approve of.  Even though it seems like there is still a connection between Noah and Helen, I feel like Helen is so above him at this point.  Noah doesn’t deserve Helen and I truly hope that she is able to find true happiness because she constantly puts others before her own needs and I just want her to experience a real moment for herself.  How will it all end?  I’m excited to find out and I can’t wait to see what Helen does next!

Stay tuned for a recognized performance on TV each week!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Have a performance on TV that you think is simply outstanding? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight! 

**Do you love television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Once Upon a Time, Lost, Charmed, The Vampire Diaries, and Supernatural?  Do you enjoy dark fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, paranormal romance, horror, and mystery?  Then you may like my book series, Dreaming of Wonderland…available on Amazon!  Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I appreciate any feedback as well.  I really hope you enjoy!

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