Triggered (2019)

Director: Chris Moore

Writer: Chris Moore

Stars: Meredith Mohler, Jesse Dalton, Sam Furman, Keni Bounds, Arian Thigpen

Two teenagers fake an attack by a legendary serial killer for a little attention, but the plan backfires when this triggers the real killer to resurface and go after them.

Date & Venue: 13 Jan 2019 at 12:30pm

Park Inn by Radisson Palace Southend-on-, Church Rd, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2AL, UK

Triggered is a clever new horror-comedy film from writer-director Chris Moore, which has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. I got a chance to ask lead actress Meredith Mohler a few questions about her character and what we can expect from the film.

Q. You play Callee Bishop in the upcoming horror-comedy Triggered. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?

Expect the unexpected! Triggered is a very out of the box film, not suited for the easily offended.

Q. What originally attracted you to the role of Callee Bishop?

She’s a multifaceted character and looked like a challenge to play. She’s very different from any other role I’ve played before. I’m normally cast as the sexpot or the nice girl. It was so much fun to get out of my comfort zone and play something different.

Q.Your character is obsessed with cultural appropriation and due to her actions is not the most likeable character. Were you ever worried about how people would perceive your character?

I was, that was a big concern of mine. I was afraid people wouldn’t see the depth to her. I was scared people would just focus on her obnoxiousness and wouldn’t see all the torment underneath. Callee’s life hasn’t been a happy one. You can take one look at her mother to figure that out. I feel like she takes on different personas like, being an SJW (Social Justice Warrior), or pretending to be British, to keep herself from crumbling.

Q. How much input did you have when creating your character?

Well, I had a solid script to point me in the right direction. Callee’s character was there to begin with. It’s pretty easy when you’re working with Chris Moore, the writer and director of the film. Chris let me have a lot of free reign with the character, such as the lollipops she’s always sucking on. I told Chris that I felt like she needed to have some kind of annoying tick, and that lollipops could be just that.

Q. Are there any elements of your character which you feel reflect your own personality?

Callee and I are similar in many ways. She might be a little overboard with her SJW agenda, but it’s something we have in common. I’m a huge human’s rights activist. I’ve marched in several marches and protest, including the Women’s March of 2017. I’m also extremely close to my mother, like Callee, although my mom isn’t a self-centered alcoholic. My mom and I do everything together. She’s even in the background of the movie a few times. As I type this she and I are on a three-week trip to LA, where we are moving next fall.

Q. What preparation did you do for the role?

A few weeks before we started filming, I began keeping a diary for Callee. I would write about what I thought her secret thoughts and desires might be. I also began research on all the things she claimed to identify as. I wanted to make sure I was portraying everything correctly. I also spent a good deal of my time researching SJWs. At the beginning of filming, we released a poster for Triggered, and the people of the internet were mortified! People on, Tumbler, Reddit, you name it were outraged! They said that the film was a disgrace to the SJW community, so I researched this community they were speaking of, after all, I was playing one of them. I was shocked about how much controversy one little movie poster could cause, and how hateful this “loving’ community was. If anyone tried to take up for the movie by saying anything that wasn’t downright hateful, they were instantly attacked by their peers.

Q. What makes Triggered stand out in the horror genre?

There isn’t that much horror in it, although most people call us a slasher. It’s mainly a character driven story, that just happens to take place during a serial killer’s spree. It also has a very comical and witty script that most horror movies don’t have.

Q. What is your favourite moment during filming?

My favourite moment is a spoiler, so I can’t say much. It is towards the end of the movie and involves some very intense moments between Ian (Jesse Dalton) and Callee.

Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?

I’m in a romantic drama called Molly Nettle, where I play Molly Nettle. That film is in post-production. It’s about a young woman who gets diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I’m also involved in another horror film called The House of Covered Mirrors. I’m not sure what I can say about it though

Q. What advice would you give to someone who is looking to get into acting?

I would say to work hard, and not to give up. Take classes and prepare as much as possible. Be ready for rejection! You’re not going to get every role you audition for, and that sucks, but that’s the way it is. Be ready to have all of your flaws pointed out to you all the time, which can be pretty unnerving. The best advice I can give you is to always listen to your director and learn from your mistakes.

You can find out more about Meredith Mohler’s other projects on IMDB and you can follow her on her Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/meredith_mohler/.

Philip Rogers

Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!