WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Agreement. Endorsement. Approval. The act of allowance as applied to circumstances which involve other people would sometimes appear to be, really SHOULD be, straightforward enough, as all that’s called for is for those two or more individuals to make a choice to mutually move forward with the given situation where all parties will enjoy and benefit from. Yet, the sad fact is that there are also those moments where what one person believes is happening, another is deceptively manipulative about, leading to encounters which may NOT be so rewarding for someone who pays the price in the wake of another’s twisted ideals. Anthony (Yorgo Glynatsis) has arrived to audition for a new reality TV show. Confident and hopeful, the interview quickly devolves when the questions being asked engender unsettling recollections of an event Anthony would MUCH sooner forget.
Next, my Mind:
As I have often done in past reviews when it comes to films that are initially focused within the LGBTQI+ arena, it still remains an overall genre that isn’t a personal preference. YET, I then must state that, as has ALSO been the case FAR more than not over the course of the years, the unqualified keenness and complete sagacity of the indie film community paired with the bold, unambiguous creativity and unflinching intent of messages that the artists within it are willing to put out there definitively trumps preference and ushers you into a realm of awareness-raising, non-preachy, wholly influential, NECESSARY (even though it’s SO disheartening that it IS in this case) explorations that soar well beyond the foundational orientation they’re, yes, centered on to become applicable and accessible to ALL. That’s what’s under the surface here and THAT is what shines forth so emphatically through this 10-minute indie short from co-writers/co-directors Yorgo Glynatsis and Chloe Potamiti, producer Eleni Savva, and coordinating producer Leena Makoff.
With highly proficient and astute skill in execution, the narrative hurls us into an initially humorous (albeit satirically and darkly), mainly dramatic world until it then decisively gut-punches you with no mercy as we follow a mixed European gay man going through an awkward reality show interview process that causes him to recall and hence mentally re-live an unforgivingly harsh encounter he experienced at a friend’s party. What starts as a mildly (and, again, darkly) comedic foray into intolerance, non-acceptance, not-so-veiled prejudice, and blatantly ignorant, snarky apathy being projected forth, while also covering general notions of casual vs. committed relationships, in-the-moment choices for good or ill, and love vs. lust, suddenly turns into an overtly serious and jarringly candid exposé on what ultimately manifests as the narrative’s core goal and essence–consent.
From here, one can already envision the direction the story takes and the deeply impactful truths that are revealed, which primarily illustrate the damaging consequences, both mentally and physically, that what I am only choosing to imply for the sake of spoiler-free reviewing is learning towards. Subsequently, the film does a soberingly compelling job of depicting both visually (which for this critic was a LITTLE too much for me overall, BUT in context, COMPLETELY propels the needed points home!!) and through the equally unnerving on-screen statistical figures that form the actual finale of the film that, folks, this is NO joke. All I can say is that REGARDLESS of orientations, gender, race, creed, or color, NO ONE deserves to, or should HAVE to, endure this scenario presented here. But, they do, which is an ongoing (!!) devastating reality, and to BE there in support of HELPING those in the aftermath is INTEGRAL, to even larger degrees in this current day and age when mental well-being and health are more PARAMOUNT than ever.
Glynatsis, whom I had recently seen on screen through another indie film offering reviewed HERE, brings a lot more of his acting talents to bear with resoundingly grounded, heartening success through his lead role as Anthony, an affable and down-to-earth gay man who’s just looking to advance his acting career (why do I get such a kick out of actors PLAYING actors?) through auditioning for a new reality show. However, as the show’s casting director begins asking him questions for the video recording interview, the tone and mood gets transformed from fun to emotionally frantic as Anthony starts to get caught up in memories of an unpleasant occurrence he had that has currently left a lasting scar. As he clearly sees no sense of empathy from the casting director and his recalling of the incident shakes him to the soul, it’s up to Anthony to decided what might ACTUALLY be best for him to do in order to move forward and continue to heal.
It’s a wholeheartedly energetic, emotively intense, powerfully poignant, and unapologetically unfiltered performance that brings out both the light and dark sides of the narrative with finesse and intent that really makes the film’s themes jump out as they should. Primary supporting roles arrive first from Sarah Griffin as Jessica, the casting director interviewing Anthony for the show who, needless to say, displays quite a (ok, playfully) non-sympathetic, utterly sarcastic, totally societally tunnel-visioned, even sassy entertainment exec mentality we might all suspect can BE reality and does so extremely and entertainingly well, the kind of character I believe Griffin relished embodying. Next, we have Thomas Pitiris as Joshua, the man Anthony catches the eye of at his friend’s party and who will soon show how his own sense of “attraction” and what it gets him is a root of inner evil towards others he possesses for his own satisfaction, masterfully and very credibly played by Pitiris with a vigor that’s almost as scary as it is apropos for the story.
Robby Khela is Shivan, the host of the party in question and the friend of Anthony’s who only wants his pal to have as much fun as possible, unknowing what it is about to actually lead to. Tania Pieri is Dr. Fieri, a professional Anthony ends up having to see in the wake of a harrowing mental and physical event he’s now attempting to recover from. Reza Diako is Ahmed, a friend of Joshua’s whom also acts as the latter’s “party favor” provider. Additional appearances are made by Maxime Bonett, Lionel Desmazon, Cliona Malin, Cecil Priscilla, and Mike Televantos. So, in total, “Trigger” persuasively, intelligently, explicitly, even fiercely addresses the actualities of consent and the veritable storm of consequences that rise up when it isn’t made a genuine part of choice and mutually shared understanding in the sphere of intimacy between two people. It’s ugly, it’s taking place around the world, in ALL communities of people, and should serve as a cautionary tale plus a reminder that this is all something we need to see moving towards becoming one thing in particular–UNHEARD OF–EVER again.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
