The Trigger Effect (1996) on Netflix
A blackout across Southern California leaves Matthew and Annie without the medicine their feverish baby needs. Their friend Joe moves in, and the two men buy a shotgun.
- Netflix3.1/5
- IMDb5.7/107,249 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes73%
Trailer
Plot summary
Annie and Matthew live in a Southern California suburb with their baby daughter, who has a high fever and an earache. The doctor promises to call a prescription in to the pharmacy the next morning. That night the neighborhood wakes to a power outage that spreads and lasts. At the pharmacy Matthew cannot fill the prescription because nothing works, so he takes the medicine. With the lights still out after days, rumor of looting circulates and unrest grows. Joe, a friend of the couple, moves in, and he and Matthew buy a shotgun to keep at the house while Annie looks after the sick baby.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Trigger Effect (1996)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Kyle MacLachlan, who played Matthew, originally wanted to play Joe instead, because he wanted to avoid a "juvenile lead", a role he strongly identified with.
- The Trigger Effect drew on the 1978 documentary series Connections and the 1960 The Twilight Zone episode "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street", which starred Koepp's uncle, the actor Claude Akins.
- David Koepp needed 12 drafts to fine-tune the script, and Amblin Entertainment produced the film for US$8 million, a cost considered high for an independent film and low for a studio film.
