Parents' Guide to

Trigger Point

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Violence, other iffy stuff in forgettable action flick.

Movie NR 2021 82 minutes
Trigger Point Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

In TRIGGER POINT, Nicolas Shaw (Barry Pepper) lives a simple, small-town life, but he also has a sophisticated security system in his home. Nicolas' former colleague Elias Kane (Colm Feore) comes to him, and viewers learn that Nicolas was once a member of a spy organization called The Agency -- and that, under torture, he may have given up the names of eight colleagues, who were then killed. Now Elias' daughter, who was investigating the truth, has been taken, and he needs Nicolas' help to get her back, discover who set Nicholas up, and uncover the identity of the assassin. Nicholas reluctantly agrees, but not even he can know what lies in store for him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

Sturdy and even somewhat stylish, this action movie is also too familiar and predictable; it likely won't be remembered by viewers long enough to warrant its promised sequels. Directed by Brad Turner -- a TV veteran with a long, impressive list of small-screen credits -- Trigger Point has a few cool sequences, from the ins and outs of Nicolas' heavily protected country home to a shoot-out among a row of greenhouses surrounded by a cornfield. The movie is taut and lean, and Pepper is fine as the hero, even if his Shaw feels like a B movie version of John Wick, Jason Bourne, or Ethan Hunt.

Certainly the "retired and in hiding" ex-superspy is an old cliché, and the movie can't quite get away from other clichés as it goes along, from the overly complicated dialogue-based setup to the unsurprising double-crosses. Indeed, the movie often feels as if it starts after all the good stuff left off. A general low-energy quality keeps things from ever getting very tense or exciting, and the generic title -- just what is a Trigger Point anyway? Is it something to do with a gun? -- will probably make this movie fade away quietly and painlessly.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Trigger Point's violence. How did it make you feel? Which parts were exciting, and which were shocking? Why?

  • How is sex depicted? What values does the movie impart on that topic?

  • How are drinking, drugs, and smoking depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

  • Have you ever been "set up" for anything you didn't do? How did it make you feel?

  • Does Shaw seem like a role model? What's interesting or admirable about his character? What are his flaws?

Movie Details

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