The Trigger Effect

Plot

A blackout struck the town of Annie (Elisabeth Shue) and Matthew (Kyle MacLachlan), a young couple with a sick infant. Not long, the couple started to abide the law in order to protect themselves and to steal some medicine for their sick child. The power stayed out for several days that cause the society to erupt with violence. The couple, with their friend Joe (Dermot Mulroney), decided to flee to Annie's parent's house. During the long trip they needed to stop in an abandoned car in order to steal gasoline, but Joe was shot by a man who is guarding the car. Matthew desperately calls help in a near by farmhouse, but still failed because of lack of trust. Matthew confronted the man while holding a shotgun and a commotion started which ended when the man's little daughter entered the room. The man agreed to help Matthew. After several days the power return and so the society returned to its normal stated, though Matthew's family and his neighbors are somewhat different because of their experiences on the blackout.

Cast

Release

The Trigger Effect was released on August 30, 1996. It grossed $1.9 million on its opening weekend and opened in 12th place. It went on to earn $3.6 million in the US. It was released on VHS in January 1997.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 75% of 24 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 6.4/10. Ken Eisner of Variety described it as "a bleak, highly stylized view of modern civilization" that is too didactic and obvious. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "Mr. Koepp knows more about setting up this gripping, high-concept crisis than about where it leads." Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly rated it a letter grade of B and wrote that the ending is disappointingly safe compared to the riskier narrative prior to it.