The Trigger Effect
1996 · 94 min · Director: David Koepp
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
How tenuous is man's hold on civilization when survival becomes an issue? When the lights go out and stay out for several days, suburbanites Matthew and Annie learn the hard way that man is "by nature" a predatory creature. Matthew's long-time friend, Joe, happens by on the second day and a rivalry between the two friends simmers as Annie cares for her sick baby. When rumors of looting spread through the neighborhood, the two men buy a shotgun for protection but Annie throws it in the pool. Later, that same night, Joe hears a prowler downstairs and awakens Matthew. They chase the stranger from the house and out into the street where a neighbor shoots him to death. No longer safe in their own home, they decide to drive to Annie's parents some 500 miles away. Before they reach their destination, more trouble comes their way when they stop to siphon gas from an abandoned car and discover the driver in the back seat... Is this what is meant by "man's inhumanity to man?"
Emotional fingerprint
The Trigger Effect (1996) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Anxiety 35%, Tension 25%, Fear 18%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Anxiety, Tension, Fear. Genres: Thriller, Drama. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Anxiety, Tension and Fear. Its IMDb rating of 5.7/10 suggests a mixed audience reception; consider how well the emotional profile suits you. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 60/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Tension
- Anxiety
- Sympathy
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sympathy
Dominant emotion: Anxiety
Dominant emotion: Relief
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Tension | Anxiety | Sympathy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Tension | 27 % | 25 % | 16 % | 8 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Tension | 30 % | 27 % | 18 % | 10 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Sympathy | 34 % | 29 % | 23 % | 18 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 16′ | Anxiety | 44 % | 38 % | 39 % | 32 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 21′ | Anxiety | 56 % | 51 % | 51 % | 38 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Tension | 59 % | 56 % | 50 % | 27 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 31′ | Tension | 50 % | 48 % | 40 % | 17 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 35′ | Tension | 46 % | 43 % | 31 % | 15 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Tension | 61 % | 59 % | 43 % | 28 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 45′ | Tension | 76 % | 74 % | 60 % | 50 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Tension | 69 % | 65 % | 60 % | 49 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 54′ | Anxiety | 56 % | 52 % | 53 % | 30 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 59′ | Anxiety | 49 % | 44 % | 47 % | 21 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 63′ | Tension | 46 % | 43 % | 41 % | 23 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 68′ | Tension | 61 % | 59 % | 52 % | 39 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 73′ | Tension | 82 % | 79 % | 76 % | 62 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Anxiety | 89 % | 84 % | 86 % | 77 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 82′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 87′ | Tension | 78 % | 63 % | 54 % | 50 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 92′ | Relief | 62 % | 33 % | 29 % | 32 % |
Man in a hole
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about The Trigger Effect. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Sarah
Sarah
Trendy German Guy
Tripping Guy
Hand Holding Girl
Hand Holding Guy
Double Date Girl
Babysitter
Details
- Directed by
- David Koepp
- Written by
- David Koepp, James Burke
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1996
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Anxiety
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
Feels similar
More like this →Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.
