Trap [Review]
M. Night Shyamalan thriller Trap explores two personalities in conflict.
Josh Hartnett and Ariel Donoghue in Trap. Credit: Warner Bros.
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller is about a man leading dual lives. He’s a loving father who dotes on his young daughter, and he’s The Butcher, a notorious serial killer that has eluded the authorities. In Trap, Cooper (Josh Hartnett) must act fast as those two compartmentalized lives speed towards a head-on collision.
Cooper has taken his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a Lady Raven concert, a major event at an arena that seats 15,000 people. Once he’s inside, he finds out the whole thing was set up as a trap—the FBI knows that The Butcher is going to be there. He needs to find a way to escape.
Josh Hartnett in Trap. Credit: Warner Bros.
The trailer of the film gives away the twist of Cooper’s identity. Granted, that simple fact isn’t the core of the film, but I feel that the first half of Trap would have been stronger if that twist was revealed just a little later. Since we’re already in on the gag, everything’s a little too clear when we see Cooper’s concern around the massive police presence he notices at the venue. It would have been much more fun to see his odd behavior escalate until we finally find out what’s going on. The whole concert sequence plays out Shyamalan’s own take on Showtime’s excellent serial killer show Dexter, but comes off as as goofy and clumsy by comparison. Thankfully, the concert is only the first half of the film and the rest is stronger. Shyamalan’s direction feels more assured when we get to that point, with a smaller setting and a genuinely tense moment in a locked bathroom.
Cooper’s attempt at finding a safe exit from the concert is far less interesting than his other point of conflict. He’s not just trying to evade capture, he’s struggling to do it without arousing the suspicions of his daughter, who clearly notices that he’s being “weird.” The juggling of identities comes more into focus in the latter half of the movie, which sees Josh Hartnett’s performance that feels exaggerated at the start of the film become more gleefully unhinged and scary rather than just over the top. I’d rather not spoil those plot points; the trailers already say too much and the second half the film was a genuine surprise.
Hayley Mills in Trap. Credit: Warner Bros.
Ariel Donoghue’s performance as Riley is excellent, feeling genuine through the whole film. She never overemotes, providing a “straight man” foil to Hartnett’s antics. Hayley Mills is criminally underutilized in her small role as Dr. Grant, the FBI profiler leading the capture effort, relegated mostly to delivering ham-handed expository monologues over a police radio.
Trap prominently features R&B singer Saleka, daughter of M. Night, in a supporting role as superstar Lady Raven. She collaborated with her father on the movie’s concept and produced an album in tandem with his screenwriting process. She performs the songs on-screen as well; unfortunately she proves to be a better musician than actress. Her appearance isn’t quite a Sofia/Francis Ford Coppola moment, but the thought crossed my mind.
Trap is serviceable overall, buoyed by Josh Hartnett’s performance. I’d rank it somewhere in the middle of M. Night Shyamalan’s filmography, above of a couple of his other recent works.
Trap opened in theaters today (August 2, 2024).
