Jenna Ortega has become one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood after she revived everyone’s favorite dark and macabre girl, Wednesday Addams, on Netflix’s hit series, Wednesday. Ortega got her start at just nine years old in Disney’s Stuck in the Middle and began to flourish in the horror genre with a small part in Insidious: Chapter 2, before launching herself into more poignant roles in Scream and X. It was with these films that she landed herself the title of one of this generation’s best Scream Queens. But it wasn’t until 2022 when she appeared in The Fallout and blew audiences away with an emotionally powerful role as Vada, a high school girl navigating through the aftermath of a school shooting. It’s an important story about dealing with emotional trauma—a weighty subject that coins The Fallout as Ortega’s true breakout role.
Jenna Ortega’s Vada Is a Standout From Her Other Roles
2022 was a big year for Jenna Ortega. With the release of Scream, X, and Wednesday, she cemented herself as not only a horror “it girl” but a remarkably talented prodigal young actress. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ortega revealed that it wasn’t until she watched Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning‘s performances in Man On Fire that she wanted to become an actress, saying, “I’m so appreciative of my six-year-old self who wanted to be a president and an astronaut…because I realize now that I was always looking for a way out.” From a young age, Jenna Ortega has built quite an impressive resume, with a range of quiet, sarcastic, and entertaining roles, such as the iconic Wednesday Addams.
Ortega switched gears to play high schooler Vada in Megan Park’s The Fallout. Now, it’s worth noting that Ortega’s Vada is a lot more expressive than Wednesday, who has much more of an angsty attitude that makes her magnetic in the role. With the perfect delivery of her harsh and amusing lines, this charismatic actress brings balance to a deadpan yet lively character who viewers instantly fall in love with. Wednesday’s dark sense of humor is somewhat similar to Vada’s own awkward, melancholic demeanor, but Ortega brings a serious tone and raw emotion to The Fallout that makes it easily her most moving and impressive to date. In a film with sensitive and triggering subject matter, Ortega gives her all in her portrayal of Vada that is as moving as it is remarkable.
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In X, Ortega plays Lorraine, a quiet and curious girl who admires the much more exuberant adult stars she works on set with. Lorraine showed the world a new side to Ortega because, despite it being a rather small role, the quiet charm of this character still shines through as she highlights the importance of women being free to express themselves. It’s much different from her powerful performance as Vada, who happens to share a few similarities with Scream’s Tara. Neither Tara nor Vada are properly equipped to handle any of the repercussions of their extreme trauma—both characters have trouble confronting their experiences and dealing with their pain. They both turn to alcohol and drugs in order to distract themselves from the horrifying events they’ve experienced. Ortega’s portrayal of Tara is a lot more open and much less isolated and reserved like Vada, with the actress bringing out a certain melancholic tone to her persona that pulls audiences deeper into the dark reality of a person’s trauma.
How Jenna Ortega Breaks Out of Her Shell in ‘The Fallout’
Written and directed by Megan Park (My Old Ass), The Fallout follows Ortega’s Vada, a sixteen-year-old high school girl who survives a school shooting by hiding in a bathroom stall with her classmate Mia (Maddie Ziegler). In showing the fear and anxiety Vada experiences afterwards, Ortega fully submerges herself into this emotionally heavy role of a girl who is trying to navigate the most traumatic event of her life. Vada brings out a side of Jenna that stands out from her other roles because there’s a certain sincerity in her performance; audiences get to ride through the brutal stages of grief and healing alongside her. Vada’s mother, Patrica (Julie Bowen), her father, Carlos (John Ortiz), and her sister, Amelia (Lumi Pollack), don’t know exactly how to talk to her, as this event has torn apart families. Vada is quiet and fragile, still taking in all the horrific events that happened in her school, and Ortega does a hauntingly great job in channeling this broken character.
In her first therapy session, Vada makes a disturbing joke to ease away from the awkward tension between her and the psychologist, Anna (Shailene Woodley). She admits to feeling angry about the shooting while also dealing with survivor’s guilt because she feels she is not fully living her life. Her reluctance to talk honestly with her parents, while simultaneously opening up to her best friend, isolates her from her standard life yet draws her closer to her friend, Mia. The chemistry between Ortega and Ziegler is authentic and wholesome, as they explore the unique process of grieving and healing with one another. Ortega’s portrayal of a young woman almost losing her chance at living a full life secures Ortega’s performance in The Fallout as one of Ortega’s strongest roles to date.
The Fallout is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
