Trigger – Series Review | Netflix

TRIGGER on Netflix is a new South Korean series with ten episodes and a plot about guns in a democratic society. Officially, this is an action-thriller, but I think that is selling it short. Read our full Trigger series review here!

TRIGGER is a new Netflix series from South Korea. This is a limited series with ten hour-long episodes and a plot that should resonate with audiences worldwide. In short, it’s about the escalation of murder in a country that isn’t used to gun violence.

It focuses on both the perceived need and the obvious danger of having guns in a democratic society, where this shouldn’t be necessary. While this is listed as an action-thriller, it often feels more like a psychological crime thriller. Which is a good thing.

Continue reading our Trigger series review below. Find it on Netflix from July 25, 2025.

The introduction of guns in a gun-free country

With Trigger, we’re getting a story set in gun-free South Korea. It turns out the country is far from as gun-free as people have believed. In fact, quite a lot of people have gotten their hands on illegal firearms.

And we’re talking all kinds of people who have been feeling increasingly angry. People who want to fight back against injustice. But also just anyone who wishes to deal with annoying people. In other words, guns are suddenly in the hands of everyone. From little ol’ grandmas to known criminals.

Illegal firearms are all over the place, and this does (unsurprisingly) result in levels of unprecedented violence. How do you deal with this from a legal and preventive standpoint? Especially when you haven’t been accustomed to gun violence?

And how are these people getting guns?!

That’s what you’ll see in the Netflix series Trigger as the story evolves. People are divided into pro-gun and anti-violence groups, who act out of fear and a longing for justice, respectively.

Familiar faces in lead roles

While there are ultimately a lot of characters in Trigger, a few are key to the storyline as we follow them during this strange time in South Korea. And yes, if you’ve watched South Korean Netflix productions in the past, you can expect a few familiar faces.

Not least Kim Nam-gil as the former military sniper turned police officer, Lee Do. You may recognize Kim Nam-gil from Pandora, the Netflix series Karma, and The Closet.

Also, Kim Young-kwang plays the character of Moon Baek. He is a very mysterious person who seems to be hiding something under his seemingly carefree attitude. Kim Young-kwang was previously in the Netflix series Somebody.

You’ll also see Kim Won-hae (Graceful Friends) and Gil Hae-Yeon (Midnight) in the Trigger series on Netflix.

Watch the Trigger series on Netflix now

The new South Korean Netflix series Trigger was written and directed by Kwon Oh-seung. His movie Midnight screened at Fantasia a few years ago, where it received quite a lot of attention.

We’re currently covering Fantasia 2025, and you can check out the latest reviews here >

If you’re curious about a thriller crime series that covers the subject of guns and gun violence, then Trigger is a fascinating watch. It tries to look at the subject from multiple angles to understand both the pro and con points of view.

With 10 hour-long episodes, there are multiple storylines to get through, but it’s well-made and interesting all the way through.

Trigger premieres on Netflix globally on July 25, 2025.

Details

Writer & director: Kwon Oh-seung
Cast: Kim Nam-gil, Kim Young-kwang