Jenna Ortega's Forgotten 2021 Drama Movie Returns To #1 On HBO Max
Between the many twisted moments on Netflix's "Wednesday" and her numerous movie roles, Jenna Ortega's star has been on the rise for a long while. In fact, her recent output has been so copious that it's been easy to miss a project or two of hers along the way.
Fortunately, Ortega fans with an HBO Max account have now had the opportunity to rectify this when it comes to "The Fallout," the Megan Park-directed drama starring Ortega and Maddie Ziegler. The film is rarely the first thing that comes to mind in Ortega's résumé, but subscribers to the streaming service have certainly taken notice of its existence.
The HBO Max original originally dropped on the service in January 27, 2022 — but it hasn't faded into obscurity. Instead, as of April 17, 2026, it has jumped out of nowhere to the top spot on the list of 10 most viewed HBO Max movies in the United States.
The Fallout is a difficult but compelling film
If you're fan of Jenna Ortega's work on "Wednesday" or her genre films, a word of warning: "The Fallout" decidedly isn't one of those. It's a tightly-wound drama about high schoolers who struggle to cope in the aftermath of a school shooting, as well fostering as a surprising bond between survivors Vada Cavell (Ortega) and Mia Reed (Maddie Ziegler).
We won't go into plot details here, but "The Fallout" is worth experiencing even if it's not quite what you'd expect from Ortega. Highly appreciated by critics, the movie has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it has received particular praise for its acting and approach to its extremely difficult subject matter. The movie also did very well on Looper's list of best HBO originals of 2022.
Stories like these aren't always told from the viewpoint of the survivors, and "The Fallout" handles it well. It's plain to see that HBO Max audiences have taken notice of its surprising quality, which may explain the film's current resurgence in popularity.
"The Fallout" is streaming on HBO Max.
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