Trigger Tom: A dusty, familiar ride that hits the spot

If you have a soft spot for guys in big hats riding horses through rocky canyons, Trigger Tom is going to be your speed. It’s not breaking any new ground, and if you hate the kind of movie where the sheriff is just obviously evil from the moment he tips his hat, stay away.

But for the rest of us? It’s a pleasant, brisk way to kill an hour. It’s got that specific kind of B-movie rhythm where nobody talks for more than ten seconds before someone draws a pistol.

Tom and Stub are our heroes, and they are about as sturdy as cardboard. They show up at the Jergenson place looking to do business, but it’s clear the whole valley is under a thumb. The sheriff, played by the kind of guy who clearly needs a mustache to twirl, is running a total monopoly.

There is a scene near the middle where they’re haggling over cattle prices that goes on just a little too long. It felt like the actors were waiting for someone to yell 'cut' but just kept improvising until the director remembered to stop them. 🤠

The action is exactly what you’d expect. A lot of chasing, a lot of falling off horses in ways that look genuinely uncomfortable, and gunfights that happen mostly off-screen. It’s got a bit of that same vibe you find in The One-Man Trail, where the landscape almost feels like its own character, even if it’s just the same three rocks filmed from different angles.

Oddly enough...

• The horses seem to have more personality than the main villain.
• I’m pretty sure the same extra fell off his horse twice in the span of five minutes.
• The dialogue is so clipped it’s like they were charging by the word.

Honestly, it’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even trying to be one. It’s just a movie about two guys who want to buy cows and the jerks who won't let them.

If you enjoyed the simplicity of The Vagabond Trail, you’ll probably find this comforting. There’s no complex subtext here to dig through. Just a lot of dust and shouting. Sometimes that’s really all you need.

I found myself wondering if they actually had any real cattle on set, or if it was just clever editing. Most of the herd scenes look like they were pulled from a library of stock footage. It’s funny how obvious that gets when you’re watching on a big screen.

It’s not perfect. The pacing stumbles in the second act, and the ending is a bit abrupt, even for a short western. But it doesn't overstay its welcome. It just says its piece and leaves you to go find something else to do.