A man and his teenage daughter realize they're at the center of a dark and sinister event while watching a concert.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill
Release Date: August 2, 2024
Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rated PG-13 for some violent content and brief strong language
Runtime: 1h 45m
Review:
M. Night Shyamalan's Trap is a collection of bad serial killer cliché paired with a ludicrous set up which might have been fun if everything wasn't so hackneyed. The general conceit offers plenty of options to build tension and tighten the screws on the Josh Hartnett's central killer as the walls close in. Shyamalan doesn't take advantage of any of this by delivering a series of bland situations and coincidences that barely register throughout the film's runtime. The script is peppered with silly contrivances such as overly chatty arena employees and SWAT team members apparently have blinders on to people acting suspiciously. Josh Hartnett desperately tries to deliver a chilling performance as a central killer but neither side of the character is believable since the "normal" is anything but and the killer side is just too full of goofy twitches and mommy issues. It’s hard to place all the blame on Hartnett since the script lacks any sort of nuance or depth so it doesn't work on a serious level and its never campy enough to be enjoyed as a goof. There is also a sense of cynicism that washes over once Shyamalan pops up on screen in one of the sillier coincidences that only ramps up the film's stupidity as it heads into its final act. It doesn't help that the singer who's the lynchpin of the overall conceit is none other than his daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, in a shameless display of nepotism. It would all be easier to forgive if any of the film was more entertaining but it’s a testament to Trap's quality that it feels far longer than its actual runtime.
D
