The Fallout Ending, Explained

Due to its themes, "The Fallout" could have been released at any moment in the last 25-years and still have relevance. Unfortunately, the movie will continue to be relevant over the next 25-years. The solution to 'The Fallout,' however, is not offered. The film focuses instead upon the devastating aftermath for students left behind and their families. Some find the courage to face the challenges, others shut off to the rest. It urges the audience to recognize that both options are possible. The ending to 'The Fallout' is revealed. Warning!

Plot synopsis for The Fallout

Vada Cavell is played by Jenna Ortega. She's a typical Gen Z teenager, with a loving and supportive family. Bright, intelligent, and an excellent big sister to Amelia (Lumi) Pollack, she is smart and bright. Amelia sends her a message, asking for her assistance, on the day that is to be. Vada is concerned and leaves the classroom to call Amelia over the telephone. She realizes the desperate cry for help she sent was because Amelia just had her first period. Vada assists her sister. Vada then enters the bathroom to find that Mia Ziegler (Maddie Ziegler), popular dancer, girl and influencer is already there.

Two young girls begin talking and the sounds of gunfire cut through the quiet. These teens live in a world in which school shootings are commonplace that has actual protocols. Vada almost drags Mia down to a stall, but they quickly realize the truth. Quinton (NilesFitch), a student at the school is soon with them. Quinton's shirt is stained with blood. He has lost his brother. Three of them remain in that small, cramped stall feeling more afraid than they have ever been. The shooter is finally taken down by the police.

Response to trauma is always a continuum. Nick had been content living in the bubble of instant gratification and social networking before the accident. Following the incident, Nick emerges as a leader in his peer group. He understands that politics will bring an end to school shootings. He organizes marches and attends meetings.

Vada's reaction is to become completely paralysed. Vada is now completely numb. Her parents, though well-meaning, don't know how they can bridge the gap in their marriage and get her to visit Anna (Shailene Whiteley). Amelia, on the other hand, feels alienated by her sister. Amelia approaches Vada's needs with a confrontational approach. Amelia thinks Vada is almost getting killed for being too obstinate with Amelia.

Vada found her reaction to absolute terror to be very similar to Quinton and Mia's. However, each individual expresses their numbness in a different way. Nick's friendship with Vada suffers as she becomes more close to Mia. Nick seems to have found something that will allow him to create his life. Vada is stuck in her pain. She abandons school, stops drinking, uses drugs and kisses Quinton. Perhaps the most valuable lesson the movie teaches is to accept the hurt. In your quest for your future, it's okay to allow the past to stop you.

Vada Gets a Message at the End of The Fallout. Why Does She Start Panicking?
As the movie's ending nears, it seems that things will primarily work out for Vada. The exercise suggested by her therapist is a success. She allows herself to be vulnerable and shares her thoughts with her siblings. She tells her father she's hurting. She shows him how to release her pain. Vada reveals to her mother the use of drugs, alcohol and sex to which she is addicted. This leaves her mother confused about how to handle it.

Vada communicating with Vada again is a positive thing, however, her mother was clearly too upset by the information she gave. Her relationship with Nick is still fraught and Quinton does not appear again on the screen after his disastrous kiss with Vada. But, their friendship seems to be changing as they emerge from each other's shells.

This is when Vada gets an alert for another school shooting — this time in Ohio — and immediately comes undone. Vada loses all the progress she has made in the years since that incident and is left with only her trauma and pain. Vada is forever trapped because of her trauma from school shootings that have been so frequent. Even after they have overcome their initial trauma, the survivors are still dragged into the new shooting.