"I want to shoot it all." An outrageous imagination that one would typically see in extreme online community comments has been realized in video form. Netflix's 'Trigger' touches deeply on how to healthily relieve societal anxiety through provocative material.
The new Netflix series 'Trigger' (written by Kwon Oh-seung, directed by Kwon Oh-seung and Kim Jae-hoon) depicts the story of two men wielding guns for their own reasons amid the continuous occurrence of gun violence in South Korea, a gun-free nation, where illegal firearms of unknown origin are being delivered. Coincidentally, the tragic shooting incident that occurred in Songdo on the 20th adds timely relevance to the narrative. However, the director drew a line between the glorification of illegal firearms and the victims.
The director is Kwon Oh-seung, who gained recognition for his directorial skills with the film 'Midnight.' He not only wrote the script himself but also took the helm. Moreover, actor Kim Nam-gil, who left a mark as a 'soda hero' through 'The Fiery Priest' series, plays the lead role of Lee Do, making this a highly anticipated work. Actor Kim Young-kwang, who has demonstrated profound acting in the dramas 'Somebody' and 'The Bad Guys: Early Years,' plays the role of Moon Baek, contributing as a top-billed lead.
In a country renowned for its public safety and as a gun-free nation, the situation of illegal firearms distribution from unknown origins arises. 'Trigger' uses this outrageous context to unfold its story. The narrative intricately weaves the bromance and partnership of police officer Lee Do, who is tracking the incidents, and a mysterious ally who becomes entangled with him, blending elements of investigative genres in a dense manner.
Notably, in 'Trigger,' 'firearms' carry a symbolic meaning beyond mere weapons. They symbolize a sense of liberation that allows for the expression of social discontent, while simultaneously representing an absolute power that can shatter the societal consensus against harming others. It was said that the law is distant while the fist is close. In a peninsula where half the population has handled firearms due to the defense obligations, guns seemed like tales from a faraway land. However, in 'Trigger,' they are quickly transformed into stories from the neighborhood.
The emergence of firearms, stronger than fists in matters of life and death, acts as a 'trigger' in an already unstable South Korean society. This is due to the unceasing incidents that sometimes arise from minor and sometimes immense social grievances, such as child abuse, random violence, animal abuse, sexual violence, school bullying, drunk driving, and noise complaints. While this depicts Korean society in the storyline, it also mirrors realistic scenes often seen in the news.
In fact, the tragic statistic that South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries reflects a dismal facet of the cultural powerhouse. 'Trigger' unravels the empathy surrounding the tragedy and catastrophe of those who take their own lives due to unaddressed social anxieties and those who, in turn, take the lives of others as a result of their social grievances. It makes us reflect on how much we listen to others' anxieties and how we deal with our own individual discontent.
Therefore, 'Trigger' is not merely a thriller based on illegal arms trafficking. It is a drama founded on social anxiety and the shared empathy of our society. As a result of organically unraveling provocative material that could be seen in webtoons, despite sharing the same name as the Disney+ series released in January, it achieves clear differentiation.
Moreover, it alerts viewers to both their inner selves and society. Between the desire to express everything freely and the reasoned restraint we must exercise as social beings, can you refrain from pulling the 'trigger' in this conflict?
Public release on July 25 at 4 p.m., rated for viewers aged 19 and older.
[Photo] Courtesy of Netflix.
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