Trigger Warning Review – Netflix’s action thriller “Jessica Alba” disappoints

June 23, 2024

Image: Netflix

In her first leading role in a film in several years, Jessica Alba takes center stage Trigger warningan action-packed thriller that has taken quite a while to get to the screen. Principal photography began on September 1, 2021 in New Mexico, with reshoots taking place in fall 2022 before the film was stuck in post-production for an extended period.

Directed by Mouly Surya (Marlina, the murderess in four acts) based on a screenplay by the trio Josh Olson (A history of violence), John Brancato (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation), and Halley Wegryn Gross (Westworld), the film revolves around Parker, a special forces soldier on active overseas deployment who is called back to her hometown by the tragic news of her father’s sudden death in a collapse on their property.

Parker is now the owner of the family bar and reconnects with her former boyfriend and current Sheriff Jesse (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Mark Webber), his hot-tempered brother Elvis (It follows‘ Jake Weary) and her powerful father Senator Swann (80s superstar Anthony Michael Hall) as she tries to understand what really happened to her father.

Parker’s search for answers quickly turns disastrous, and she soon finds herself at odds with a violent gang wreaking havoc in her hometown. Not knowing who she can truly trust, Parker draws on her commando training and proves herself a force to be reckoned with as she pursues the truth and tries to right the wrongs in Swann County, with the help of her secret ops partner and hacker Spider (Survival of the Thickest co-star Tone Bell) and local dealer Mike (The Night Agent star Gabriel Basso).

For Netflix and its audience, the decision for this film seems relatively easy: action films with female leads like J-Los The mother & Atlas or Gal Gadot’s heart of stone have achieved considerable ratings; Jessica Alba’s show LA’s Best is doing well with the Netflix boost after landing on the platform in early 2021; & The Night Agent Gabriel Basso got even bigger after it aired last year, and when you combine that with shows like Amazon’s Reacher at the top of the streaming charts, it seems like a logical conclusion.

However, everyone else who sees this film may be wondering how this script came about and why such a big-name talent is involved in it. Everything about this film feels fake or, at best, a repetition of familiar action cliches from past and present.

Trigger Warning wants to be Walking Tall or the small-town “Reacher” of Season 1, but it has none of the skill, charm, humor, or lead actor presence of those more successful projects. Instead, the film feels far too self-indulgent, embarrassingly political (correct pronunciation of “Latinx” and several racial slurs, UGH), and lacks any emotional or physical impact from its main plot or Alba in the lead role.

Although her resume includes plenty of action, from Dark Angel to the Fantastic Four and the Machete films, Jessica Alba seems completely miscast, even though she had little to offer and few moments to prove herself. The best examples of female action stars have similar skills to their male counterparts: impressive presence, overall athleticism, and believability when they’re on the warpath. The modern examples – Charlize Theron, Michelle Yeoh, most of the current crop of female superheroes – all have some degree of these qualities. Jessica Alba is petite in stature, robotic in her combat style, and lacks a certain level of “dog” I’d follow into battle.

None of that really matters, though, if the pages don’t give us what we need. For a film that tries to sell an emotional bond between father and daughter that makes this revenge plan work, it doesn’t even end with a final goodbye or celebratory gestures; instead, we see Parker leaving town with her partner and talking to Mike about choosing colors for the wall. The film doesn’t even believe in itself, so why should we?

In total, Trigger warning is a watered-down copy of a tired action cliche with a lackluster lead character in Alba. As a character, Parker seems to have no vision, no logic in her actions, and always one step behind. It’s hard to believe Alba or her character as a leader, a daredevil, or an intelligence officer. With no plot twists, no nuance, and a lead character who doesn’t seem particularly interested in the city she’s saving, it’s hard for anyone to understand and enjoy the basics of modern action conventions.

Regard Trigger warning If you liked it

The mother
heart of stone
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Walk upright

MVP of Trigger warning

Clay bell as a “spider”

While most of the characters in this film seem to act as if they were in different movies at the same time, actor and comedian Tone Bell knew his job and seemed to do an excellent job of playing the role of Spider.

Many action films feature technical experts with dramatic flair, and this film is no exception. As Spider, Bell shows us at least a modicum of espionage and hacking wizardry to add some seriousness and spice to the mostly dull script and characterizations surrounding him.

Trigger warning is as ineffective and clumsily political as its title. A miscast Jessica Alba and a barely coherent script don’t add up to much, even for the most superficial fans of the genre.