Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is taking his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to one of the biggest concerts of her lifetime. The pop sensation Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) is taking to the stage, and the concert will be packed with over twenty thousand screaming fans, including Riley. Luckily, Cooper has booked floor seats, ensuring he and his daughter will have a night and experience they’ll never forget.
As Cooper and Riley take their seats, Cooper notices a large police and SWAT presence, which makes him curious. When Cooper tries to buy his daughter a concert t-shirt, he questions a local salesperson about the police presence. It turns out that the police are on a manhunt for a serial killer known as ‘The Butcher’, and there is a plan in motion to catch the killer at the concert. The police have enough evidence and clues to confirm that ‘The Butcher’ will be at the concert, so they have covered every exit with police and SWAT. Cooper is now on high alert, not only for the safety of his own daughter during the concert but also because he is, in fact, ‘The Butcher’. Now, he will do everything he can to outsmart the police, try to find a way to escape the concert with his daughter and keep his identity as a violent murderer secret.
For those unaware, Trap was directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan, whose past work includes The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. Once again, M. Night returns to deliver a new kind of thriller and a unique film experience. While the film is heavy on thrills, it includes many musical numbers throughout, taking viewers through the same journey as our leads. As one may expect, there are many twists and unexpected turns, leading to a surprising climax.
I found the pacing of the first and second acts engaging, compelling, and highly exciting. Unfortunately, the third act and climax took an unexpected direction, which weakened the solid build-up that came before. I really appreciated M. Night’s directing style throughout this film. It’s clear that the story and filming style have been inspired by classic thrillers such as Psycho or Silence of the Lambs. The character’s discussions are sometimes shot in a point-of-view style, giving viewers a close and personal viewpoint from the film’s lead and surrounding characters. I also enjoyed the musical numbers throughout.
Overall, Trap has a lot of great aspects that remind viewers of classic thrillers such as Silence of the Lambs and Psycho. Thanks to M. Night’s craftsmanship, a new concept has been presented. The first and second acts were exciting and fun, but a weaker and baffling third act brings the film down a notch. Funnily enough, I had similar impressions with The Watchers. Casting Josh Hartnett to play a fun-loving, caring dad and a dangerous murderer was welcoming, and I felt his character was brilliantly executed right from the start. Trap is brilliant, but it could have been even greater.
7.5/10
★ ★ ★ ½
3rd August 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
0 Comments