Netflix have unleashed the first trailer for the hotly anticipated action thriller Trigger Warning, starring Jessica Alba in her first major film role since 2019’s Killers Anonymous. The film is set to be the first English-language project directed by celebrated Indonesian director Mouly Surya, known for her ability to create gripping thrillers.
Operating under the slogan “Justice comes home”, you would be forgiven for thinking the Trigger Warning trailer had been generated by an AI bot that has been fed every action movie trailer from throughout the genre’s history. Featuring sporadic explosions, unnecessarily loud and unrealistic fight scenes, and dialogue that does not in any way reflect the way real people talk, Trigger Warning appears to be a route-one action film.
Although the trailer does not present an image of a particularly inventive or original film, Jessica Alba seems to be a natural fit for an action thriller protagonist. Rising to prominence in 2003 with the dance film Honey, Alba’s filmography has transcended countless genres, but she is certainly no stranger to the action genre.
Trigger Warning will see Alba take the starring role in an action film for the first time and, if the trailer is anything to go by, it would be surprising if this is her last time taking the role of the protagonist.
The film is largely based on a short story by Otep Shamaya first published in 2015. Alba plays a Special Forces agent who inherits a bar previously owned by her grandfather, and finds herself a target of a local gang pulling the strings behind-the-scenes in her hometown. According to the trailer, Alba’s character then gets into hot water as she attempts to battle this gang and honour the memory of her grandfather.
Reportedly, the film has been in development since 2016, and was purchased by Netflix in 2020, with Alba brought onboard the project quickly thereafter. The thriller is also set to star the likes of Anthony Michael Hall and Mark Webber in leading roles.
Trigger Warning is set to debut on Netflix on June 21st.
