Netflix has a new number-one movie - just don’t read the reviews
Jessica Alba is back in an old-school action movie. But is it any good?
After a bit of a dry patch, Netflix has a brand new number one movie, Trigger Warning.
Despite sounding more like an 80s action movie or an old stand-up’s comedy special Trigger Warning is actually a thriller starring Jessica Alba.
The film is Netflix’s top movie across most of the world, including the US and UK, according to Flixpatrol.
Jessica Alba’s Parker takes over her father’s bar in her hometown, following his death. But in doing so, she butts heads with the gang that menaces the town.
But, hey, she’s a special forces commando, so she can handle herself. Trigger Point is a revenge thriller, and there’s a bit of a behind-the-scenes story to this one.
The film was actually shot ages ago, in September and October 2021 in New Mexico. It spent absolutely ages in post-production. Maybe Netflix’s has been waiting for just this dry spell to trigger release of the film.
It has not proved much of a critical hit. Trigger Warning sits at 25% fresh over at Rotten Tomatoes, and an average score of 39% at Metacritic.
Don’t write this one off, though, as a few reviewers describe the film as what we think is just about ideal for a Netflix original: a solid thriller.
“It’s a pretty straightforward reintroduction but an effective one and while nothing here is distinctive enough to demand more from the character, there are many more worse sequel prospects, especially within Netflix’s franchise farm,” says The Guardian in its 3-star review.
In a similar vein, CNN suggests it’s a perfectly enjoyable watch, if nothing special.
“Trigger Warning might not be packing anything unexpected in the chamber, but for those who come to it with the proper mind-set, the movie doesn’t wind up firing blanks either,” its review says.
The big question: is that enough? It’s clearly enough to reel in the viewers idly rifling through Netflix’s shelves.
Trigger Point was directed by Mouly Surya, a director whose previous works have been Indonesian productions. Her last, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, was also a revenge thriller.