This post contains spoilers for “Trigger Warning.”
Remember “Dark Angel?” The 2000 sci-fi drama series that starred Jessica Alba in her breakthrough role really left a mark on those who favor stories set in dystopian, cyberpunk-influenced futures. The show has Alba playing Max Guevara (X5-452), a genetically enhanced super-soldier who escapes from a government facility to fight corruption and crime under the guise of a cat burglar. “Dark Angel” positioned Alba firmly as an action hero with a knack for excelling in fight scenes, as Max’s existence is marked with violent vigilantism and a fluid approach to confrontation. Indeed, Alba has only continued to shine in action-centric roles over the years that’ve followed. That includes her recent foray into the genre with Netflix’s “Trigger Warning,” in which she plays Parker, an extremely skilled CIA combatant/investigator whose mission in Syria comes to a halt after she receives distressing news about her father.
Parker’s homecoming to New Mexico is shrouded in grief, as she must now unearth the reasons behind her father’s sudden death while dealing with a violent gang that has taken hold over the town she grew up in. Although Parker is more than capable of navigating these turgid waters, she must call upon the aid of trusted allies to get to the bottom of this case. Hacker Spider (Tone Bell) and local dealer Mike (Gabriel Basso) complement Parker’s formidable skills throughout this intensely personal mission, while we become privy to a story where location is paramount to Parker’s ongoing investigation — as every comforting corner of her hometown has now been tainted with the shadow of the murder of a loved one.
But where exactly was “Trigger Warning” filmed? Let us take a deeper look into the locations of Parker’s journey.
Trigger Warning’s filming locations tie in with Parker’s investigation
According to Travel Noire, the filming locations for “Trigger Warning” oscillated between Netflix-owned studios and a couple of outdoor spots in central and northern New Mexico. Parker hails from the fictitious town of Creation, and the specific locale, flora, and culture of the town was created with the help of several location shots strung together, including Lamy, Española, Los Cerrillos, Madrid, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, among others. As a chunk of the action sequences take place in desert landscapes or against picturesque backdrops, New Mexico emerged as the perfect location, where some of the outdoor spots like Lamy helped evoke the contained, remote small-town aspect that Creation embraces.
A quick look at the film’s press notes grants us more insight into the ideas that helped shape Creation, a location that co-screenwriter Josh Olson has described as “an archetypal place [that] was always a nebulous kind of western/southwestern town.” Alba herself spoke to Decider about filming an action scene inside a real hardware store, explaining the “practical” and “grounded” benefits of shooting on location:
“We went back and shot that [action] scene special, because it was in a real hardware store. Everything was practical, and it’s always more challenging when you’re doing this type of action, where it’s very grounded — a lot of hand-to-hand combat — and it’s in a practical location. It was exactly as it looked. It smelled like hay and corn feed in there and there was like Carhartt up on the walls, mixed with the chaps, and all the different supplies that you would need on a farm. It was legit!”
If you haven’t checked out “Trigger Warning” yet, and wish to treat yourself to an action-oriented murder mystery shot in beautiful locations, the film is currently streaming on Netflix.
