Over the years there have been numerous films that bring a group of people together against their will in dire situations when they put them against each other it sets the tone for something fun when handled right. The latest, Triggered looks to do just that, but does it have that special something worth fighting for your life or will it explode in their face?

 

Triggered follows nine friends, all harboring a dark secret, who go camping in the woods. After a wild night of partying, they wake up with Suicide Bombs strapped to their chests, all with varying times on their countdown clocks. They decide to work out how to disarm the bombs or find help - until they discover they can 'take' one another's time by killing each other.

 

Going in I knew next to nothing about this film other than the premise and was surprised how well it worked despite its flaws. The film plays up the conscious horror world with an infusion of things like Battle Royale and SAW. This makes for a simple but fun premise without really trying to be anything overly new. Like most of these kinds of movies there are a slew of characters that you just won’t like. I was surprised how many of them I was just annoyed by and couldn’t wait for them to get killed. While that may be on purpose it makes it harder to get fully invested into the film.

 

Stepping away from the characters themselves the story allows for the worse part of humanity to shine through as they all fight to survive the night. I did enjoy the fact that a lot of their decisions to take someone out hinged on their already stewing problems they had prior. It took a Purge like mentality in the situation to the next level while not having a choice otherwise. The overall tone once it all gets started is literally just survive or die no matter what. The use of the bomb vests and score card made it feel fresh and new while still being familiar territory.

​

There are some bloody good kills and fun to be had while not really doing anything you haven’t seen before. If you enjoy films like SAW and Battle Royale then this will no doubt entertain you as well. Play the deadly game when Triggered hits Digital and On Demand on November 6th from Samuel Goldwyn Films.