Topakk, internationally known as Triggered, is a Philippine action thriller film co-produced and directed by Richard Somes from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jimmy Flores and Will Fredo. It stars Arjo Atayde, Julia Montes and Sid Lucero.[2] The film was first screened at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 and premiered at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland in August 2023.[3] The film was released theatrically in the Philippines on December 25, 2024, as part of the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival.[4]
Topakk was produced under Nathan Studios along with Fusee, Strawdogs Studio Production and Toronto-based post sound house Theo & Atlas Productions. According to multiple teasers and news sources released in 2020, the film was originally going to star JM de Guzman, but he was recast for unknown reasons.[12][13][14][15] The film was directed by Strawdogs' Richard V. Somes.[16]
Montes started her immersion training in preparation for Topakk as early as September 2022. Cornerstone Entertainment made the special announcement of the new film on their social media accounts.[8]
Topakk casts at the 50th MMFF Parade of Stars (right to left): Enchong Dee, Julia Montes, Arjo Atade and three film crews
Canada-based Raven Banner Entertainment became the global distributor of Topakk in 2022.[16][18]Topakk went on sale at the European Film Market, which is an "annual trade fair held simultaneously with the Berlin International Film Festival or Berlinale for distributors, film buyers, producers, and financiers."[7] Topakk was acknowledged at the Cannes’ Marché du Film for the first time in France, becoming the first Filipino film to qualify under the genre category of the fantastic pavilion of Cannes.[11]
The Manila Times writer Tessa Mauricio Arriola opined that Topakk "effectively transcends the boundaries of conventional action films". Arriola also praised Atayde's "career-defining portrayal" and Montes' "force to be reckoned with" performance.[23]BusinessWorld writer Joseph Garcia described the film as "one of the better action films to come out in recent memory",[24] while Mark Angelo Ching of Philippine Entertainment Portal gave the film a positive review, calling it a "visual feast" and praised the performances of Atayde and Lucero with emphasis on Montes, stating that she delivered a "a standout acting performance".[25] Writing for ABS-CBN News, Rhea Manila Santos described the film as a "one heartstopping action ride" and praised the performances of Atayde and Montes.[26]
Kat Hughes of The Hollywood News gave the film three out of five stars, writing: "With such a strong focus on brutality and little space for light, the audience gets the sensation that they themselves have entered a war-zone... Somes’ dedication to the brave pushes his audience into the same head-space and this shared trauma highlights the savagery of war perfectly."[27]ScreenAnarchy's Andrew Mack felt that the film is when "The Night Comes For Us meets Hardboiled", stating that "it may lack the kind of standout villains those other films had, but in way of the setting and the level of violence those films gave us, Triggered is pretty darned close to delivering something similar."[28]
