Trigger Review
Director: Kwon Oh-seung,
Date Created: 2025-07-25 20:18
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Trigger Review: Directed and written by Kwon Oh-seung, the 2025 Korean drama 트리거 (Teurigeo) is a gripping, 10-episode series available on Netflix that explores about what happens when a country that’s famously had little to no gun crime is suddenly inundated with guns. The series features Kim Nam-gil as detective Lee Do and Kim Young-kwang as enigmatic arms trader Moon Baek. The series also stars Gil Hae-yeon as Oh Gyeong-suk, Park Hoon as Koo Jeong-man, Woo Ji-hyeon as Yoo Jeong-tae, Kim Won-hae as Cho Hyeon-sik, and others. The series blends crime, action, and emotional resonance in a way that’s difficult to shake.
From the first episode, Trigger sets up a spine-tingling “what if” scenario—what if angry and angry South Korean common folk suddenly gain the power to purchase illegal firearms? Even that one question is enough to set this drama apart from the usual crime thrillers. And though I never imagined that I’d end up loving it so much, the series had me hooked from the pilot.
Trigger Review
Netflix series Trigger feels special in how it shows the anger of common people getting misused. It’s not another cop drama. There are tactical take-downs, shootouts, and chases, but for the most part, attention is paid to the emotional and psychological triggers of the actions of the people. The title of the series isn’t even really just a reference to a gun—it’s talking about the breaking point when someone snaps. And seeing those breaking points occur, or almost occur, time and time again was horrific and frightening.
In every episode, we witness ordinary people—bullied, deprived of sleep, or ignored—driven to the brink. This might have otherwise been melodramatic for melodrama’s sake, but Kdrama Trigger makes it oddly engaging. The characters aren’t pawns in a plot. They’re human beings we could very well encounter in our own lives. That’s why the show’s so engaging—and chilling.
If I had to give just one reason to watch this show, it would be  the acting. Kim Nam-gil as Lee Do, brings this strength and vulnerability. His past as a military sniper haunts him, and the trauma that he carries with him makes every scene richer. Kim Young-kwang as Moon Baek, does so in a way that makes you wonder about him—likable one moment, utterly unstable the next.
Their chemistry is charged, and their dynamic is tight, the tension between two individuals who perhaps might need to help one another but do not trust one another. They are like the misfit couple and that is one of the show’s best things, and it propels the show into some areas you might not necessarily want to venture.
My favourite thing about South Korean drama Trigger was that it never did the easy thing. There are no easy bad guys on this show. Nearly everyone is stuck in the gray, and that enriches the story. The show also examines how quickly people can fall into despair and how lethal it is when they believe violence is the only way out. That is not a new premise, but Trigger’s execution of it feels fresh—especially in South Korea, where gun violence is so unusual it is nearly mythical.
Social message works, but it never preaches. What you do instead is think during the viewing about how exposed society is. I was thinking about how I would have acted in the same circumstances, and that is the kind of emotional connection that makes you remember a drama long after the credits have rolled.
Now let’s discuss the action. Yes, there are car chases, shootouts, and hand-to-hand combat scenes—but they’re not gratuitous. They’re actually terrific. Netflix’s Trigger doesn’t make light of violence. It’s not sanitized, and it does have nasty repercussions. The combat scenes are raw and gut-wrenching, and you can see the terror in people’s faces. That makes it more intriguing than the usual gun-fest show.
Even at its most frenetic, high-octane moments, the show pauses long enough to show us the human aspect of it all—how individuals are affected by the violence, how guilt sets in, how trauma can change lives. It does not always, and I adored it.
Although I enjoyed the show, there were a few times where the storyline was a bit too rushed. With so many characters and crossovers, sometimes it just is a bit jumbled to keep track of who’s doing what and why. There were a few times where I wished the storyline would linger a bit longer in certain areas so that it could make more dramatic scenes.
Also, though the ending is hopeful, it does not tie things up with a bow. That will infuriate viewers who prefer their endings be a cleanup. But I didn’t care. Life isn’t ever tidily wrapped up, and Trigger appears to appreciate that.
Korean Drama Trigger Review: Summing Up
Overall, Trigger on Netflix is dark, and heavy emotionally. But it’s also well done, well thought out, and full of substance. With great performances by Kim Nam-gil and Kim Young-kwang, solid direction by Kwon Oh-seung, and an engaging story about power, pain, and survival, this is another strongest Korean thriller I’ve watched on Netflix this year. If you enjoy crime dramas with depth and action worth watching, you’ll enjoy this.
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