WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
How deep does your anger burn when something sets you off? Does it cause your insides to boil, your mind to reach a breaking point, manifesting the sudden urge to seek some form of release, that the sense of unease be satisfied? It sounds extreme, but have we not all had those instances where an injustice has been seen or heard about that creates such strong desires for rectifying it if we’re able? One hopes that this might somehow come about with no actual injury to one’s own person or others’ well-being–but what if this wasn’t the case? Ohio (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) and Virginia (Caitlin Mehner) have a plan in motion. The home they have chosen to break into in the middle of the night belongs to U.S. Senator Heidi (Tara Westwood) and her husband David (Robert John Burke). Also, in residence–their young children. Once the intent of the invasion is made clear, will the final outcome turn into an impossible choice?
Next, my Mind:
Decisively taut, unnervingly but purposefully thought-provoking, one hundred percent weighty, and crucially necessary to our contemporary world and the facets of societal interaction it represents, this 18-minute Oscar qualifying short film from director/producer/actress Tara Westwood, writer/executive producer Thomas Dunn, producers Nicholas Goldfarb and Elias Plagianos, co-producers Kathleen Burke and Brett Dameron plus executive producer John Leguizamo wastes no time punching you square in the face and soul with a sad but deeply relevant, eerily timely story that resonates impactfully on both individual and political levels with an unshakable relatability sure to attract attention. At least, it SHOULD. I am speaking about the awareness-raising it elicits and subsequent solutions that need to be contemplated and then put in place based on the tale portrayed, as the film itself is already garnering a well-earned spotlight AS a contender for Academy Award consideration come December.
A combination of thriller and crime drama, the narrative that sees a home invasion with a premeditated, targeted objective suddenly take on and reveal a much more unsettling endgame is delivered with a beautifully executed pacing that allows so much slow-burn tension to simmer, then start to boil, then explode that you as the viewer cannot help but be drawn into it and the core emphasis we’re being offered–the horror of needless gun violence and the toll it truly takes on those affected by it. It’s a superb study in abject desperation, broken mindsets, shattered expectations, yearned for resolutions, and does shine an unflinching light on governmental policy, but does so in a way that IS pertinent to issues that require yet-to-be-provided answers. Now, this is not at ALL to “support” the MEANS to try and be a voice to initiate change in the manner depicted, but even seeing the recent events surrounding the real-life break-in at Nancy Pelosi’s residence only seems to further cement in our minds the compelling material nature of this film.
It feels like a further, potent reminder of the ongoing death of innocence this country has been encountering FAR, FAR too often in recent years thanks to senseless acts of malice and violence while also being willing to address what DOES sometimes seem like the apparent “triteness” of the politicians declaring “I’m so sorry”. Even believing it IS genuine sympathy, one can wholly understand why it might seem utterly false to those who’ve drastically, devastatingly lost and confront that unyielding pain in not seeing things change, a price paid for ignorance and/or neglect on our leadership’s part perhaps. I honestly applaud the filmmakers here for not sugar coating anything but making a bold statement without it coming across as can often happen–preachy and partisan–rather than a more wide-ranging, all-encompassing message that ALL of us can grasp onto, be moved by, and ideally ruminate on. That, this critic feels, was accomplished successfully and let me just say that the film’s finale jarred me SO completely I felt the chills for a long while after! Masterfully done!
Whitlock, Jr. and Mehner are magnificent, working as a perfectly synched duo who simply, stirringly exude unadulterated menace, inner torment, and thoroughly heartbreaking vulnerability via their respective roles as Ohio and Viriginia, two normal citizens who now carry unbearable, unthinkable loss and have therefore chosen to embark on radical action in an attempt to discover the absolution and sense of justice which they feel has alluded them thanks to the inaction of those they likewise feel are “responsible” for their pain. Seemingly filled with no remorse for what they are doing, Viriginia in particular becomes more and more unhinged as events unfold, while Ohio soon seems to just be “going along” but COULD have sudden hesitations about everything. Their shared agony is palpable and assuredly justified, with both Whitlock, Jr. and Mehner selling you on this escalating instability with believable and wrenching fervor throughout the film’s abbreviated runtime.
Likewise, there’s also a mutually shared air of pronounced intensity that creates an appropriate atmosphere of distress but then adds fear and risky, though well-meaning, audacity to the proceedings on the part of Westwood and Burke through their portrayal of power couple Heidi and David, a U.S. Senator and her lawyer spouse who unexpectedly find themselves on the receiving end of two other people’s dark yet admittedly grievingly poignant agenda. Heidi is singled out for her political forays and perceived “sins” for not supporting issues that their invaders felt were imperative and could have even aided in avoiding the losses suffered, and she tries her level best to assuage the pair’s already overt anger, only to be forced more and more into a corner. Meanwhile, David has to stand by and just attempt to be a calming voice of reason amidst his own panicked state, often being chastised for it by their attackers. Both Westwood and Burke are so deftly efficient at displaying their character’s agonized reality, leant even more formidable realism when events culminate to the place they do. Fantastic performances and NOT overacted, which for me is a huge plus when it comes to watching emotional volatility being acted out.
So, in total, “Triggered” is flat out one of the most high-quality short film efforts I’ve witnessed about the always controversial hotbed topic of gun control, associated laws (or need of them within reason), and the ramifications of the blatant irrationality of related violence we’ve seen occurring in this country lately has all brought about. It just begs EVERYONE, from our leadership to ourselves, to be willing to logically, intelligently, and with UNITED intent seek out an equally pivotal manner by which to preserve rights but see an unequivocal end to gun abuse, entirely unnecessary loss, and the perpetrating of an overall cultural environment that is so disconcertingly tearing away the very fabric of this great country. This can happen, folks, but we have to show we’re inclined and disposed to allowing it to come about and be a part of the solutions.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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