TRIGGER HAPPY (2025): A Modern Dark Twist on Mid Century Modern
The commercial ads of a mid-modern family of the fifties always depicted a happy nuclear family. Bright smiles and immaculate style as they were artfully stylized doing chores or just eating food out of a can. Everyone knows that this is completely and utterly unrealistic, right? What if that mid-modern lens were applied to a more darker and unsettling side to a family? With some shadowy edges among the bright setting, TRIGGER HAPPY sets the stage for repression, sponges, and life insurance policies.
To begin, let us meet the Deckers. George (played by Tyler Poelle) and Annie (played by Elsha Kim). and a young married couple who live their lives in constant tense struggles. George works at a restaurant while Annie is a hopeful actress. Just like everyone else, George has amassed a huge debilitating amount of debt. With each lotto ticket he buys with the little money he has, he hopes to escape it all and go to the Bahamas. Annie’s sole focus is nail the audition for the WOW! sponge commercial. Too bad she’s also dealing with a inner tic that encourages her imagination to commit all types of murder.
Then we meet the Decker’s couple friends, the Breyers. Mikey (played by Matt Low) and Gemma (played by Christina Kirkman) are also dealing with their own inner turmoils. It was the pies. Mikey decided to quit his stable career to bake pies. Which left Gemma feeling the strain of maintaining the household. A strain that could only be relieved within the arms of another man.
It was a passing idea that quickly took cancerous root within George. With his current job, there was no way he could vacation to the Bahamas. Unless, he murdered his wife and collected the life insurance. The idea begins to manifest into plans and into inevitable outcome. His ill intentions begin to seep to those around him as the two couples begins to side-eye one another.
The movie then becomes a Russian roulette of which character will shoot first. Each character has equal motive and insanity levels to be the one to fire first. Will it be the repressed unemployed husband? Or his repressed yet mentally over-stimulated wife who can barely contain her mental tics? Should audiences keep an eye out on the other married couple? On the wife who is cheating or the husband who begins to suspect? Which relationship straining at the seams from the secrets and insults? How long can everyone maintain their brittle bright wattage smile as they each begin to feel the itch to pull the trigger?
Trigger Happy is a darkly entertaining spectator ride. The couples are equally unlikable among the four. So there is no emotional connection to any of them. Let them shoor each other while we enjoy the dream-like setting with steadily creeping shadows on the edge.
Manufactured beauty and tranquility of the mid-century modern home life is barely able to hide the thin barrier that separates the couples from dealing with their reality. None of the main characters are able to face and tackle the problems themselves. They’re either pointing fingers at another, displacing blame, disregarding empathy, or any kind of meaningful conversation. Unhappiness is their complete identity. Even thought the world around is staged like a fifties sitcom show, it’s not enough to propel them towards any positive and construction emotion.
Just like the stylized facade of fifties, there is a definite power imbalance among the couples but gender-swapped. Both of the women feel that their own spouses are completely useless and below them. Often times being dismissive of their husbands existence or emotions. No matter the gender, being made to feel insignificant, useless, or worthless would be incredibly detrimental to mental health. Of course, this is all delivered with quirky humor among the unrealistic settings.
The movie ends as we all expect it to. A subdued end to an energetic roller-coaster of tension and bullets. Hopefully it will result in second thoughts about taking out that life insurance on your partner. Just keep playing the lottery. Good luck.
Notes of Mirth through out the movie:
The birthday song sequence by the restaurant workers was easily the entertaining showstopper. It was so well choregraphed and fun. Honestly, this style of birthday songs should be implemented for adults who are put on the spot in restaurants.
The megaphone lady on the soapboax. Best delivery of foreshadowing,
It is a personal delight to see Kevin Kreider get some screen time as the hot pilot. It was oddly endearing how he screamed at the blood splatter.
Blood levels and splatter are very tolerable; no graphic violence, which was very appreciated.
Trigger Happy is available across multiple streaming platforms. Check out https://www.west36productions.com/ for more information.
