Growing up and getting through high school is truly hell for everyone, and the teenagers of today have even more to worry about than those of the past. HBO Max’s upcoming film The Fallout proves exactly that, as viewers are taken behind the traumatic events of a school shooting and how the bond between two girls allows them to get through it together.

What is so chilling and stomach churning about the new trailer is that it begins as a seemingly normal day of high school. Two girls are in the bathroom, one putting on her makeup and the other coming out of a stall, before their small talk is interrupted by a gunshot, followed by screams. In an instant, their lives are changed forever. As to be expected, both girls experience extreme anxiety and distress in the story that unfolds after they survive the shooting. The unthinkable happenings bond the duo together as they help one another process the trauma they have experienced and try to make sense of the journey of life.

Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler star as the two young women whose lives were changed in the blink of an eye. Also starring is Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, John Ortiz, Julie Bowen, and Shailene Woodley. The story comes from Megan Park, who also directed the feature. The film is Park’s breakout screenwriting and directorial piece after having a career in front of the camera, starring in films and television shows including The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The Fallout has already moved audiences and snagged the Grand Jury Prize, the Audience Award for Narrative Feature, and the Brightcove Illumination Award when it premiered at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival.

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Image via HBO Max

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Producers include Shaun Sanghani, Todd Lundbohm, David Brown, Rebecca Miller, Cara Shine, Joannie Burstein, and Giulia Prenna with an executive production team made up of Christina Lundbohm, Greg Young, Mark Andrews, and Stephanie Denton.

The Fallout premieres on HBO Max on January 27. Check out the new trailer below:

And check out the film's synopsis and poster:

Bolstered by new friendships forged under sudden and tragic circumstances, high schooler Vada (Jenna Ortega) begins to reinvent herself, while re-evaluating her relationships with her family, friends and her view of the world. Moving away from her comfortable family routine, she starts taking chances with a series of quicksilver decisions that test her own boundaries and push her in new directions. As she spends more time with Mia (Maddie Ziegler), they grow closer, and Vada slowly redefines herself through their shared experiences, leading her further away from that day and closer to living her life in the now.

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Image via HBO Max