The Trigger Effect

"When nothing works, anything goes."

1996 1h 34m EN

😐

5.8

MID

🍅

72%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★5.8TMDB · 126🍅72%Rotten Tomatoes●66Metacritic★5.7IMDB · 8,189

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A blackout leaves those affected to consider what is necessary, what is legal, and what is questionable, in order to survive in a predatory environment.

“When nothing works, anything goes.”

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Cast

Kyle MacLachlan
Matthew
Elisabeth Shue
Annie
Dermot Mulroney
Joe
Richard T. Jones
Raymond
Bill Smitrovich
Steph
Michael Rooker
Gary
Tori Kristiansen
Sarah
Tyra Kristiansen
Sarah

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Koepp
Writers: David Koepp
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 45% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Koepp, shot by Newton Thomas Sigel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by James Newton Howard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jill Savitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kyle MacLachlan and Elisabeth Shue and Dermot Mulroney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When nothing works, anything goes.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Koepp directs. Newton Thomas Sigel behind the camera. James Newton Howard scores. Jill Savitt cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 45% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
230 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
4Directed by David Koepp, shot by Newton Thomas Sigel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by James Newton Howard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jill Savitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kyle MacLachlan and Elisabeth Shue and Dermot Mulroney carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "When nothing works, anything goes.".
9IMDB entry: tt0117965 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.