Trap Review

The following article is a non-spoiler review of Trap after a free screening of the film.

M. Night Shyamalan is a peculiar case of a director. The films he makes have creative premises but varying levels of story and dialogue. The skills M. Night has in concept he at times lacks in execution. While I have not seen his entire filmography, I’m aware of the general consensus that the quality of his films can be hit and miss; thus, I went to this film skeptical, but optimistic, having been hooked on the premise from the extended trailer shown in cinema previews. I do however believe Trap offers an entertaining experience for most.

Trap‘s premise, a serial killer trapped by federal officers in a concert arena, is derivative of the real-life sting operation run by the US Marshals Service inviting thousands of fugitives to an American football game to be captured. This event is what reportedly inspired the premise of Trap, although this is yet to be confirmed by Shyamalan. The movie’s concept is what convinced most to make the trip to the cinema and part with their money for this film. While the premise is certainly intriguing, it is one I believe could have been explored to a greater extent. While I was quite fond of the film’s storyline, I felt the second act dragged longer than it was welcome for, which took time away from the film that could have been spent in the concert. For such an integral part of the film’s marketing, the concert portion only occupies roughly half the runtime, and I do wish it continued for longer.

The cat and mouse aspect of the film was its most entertaining, with Josh Hartnett’s Butcher escaping close calls with federal officers. The manoeuvers we saw were certainly entertaining, but they were so few and far between with most of the concert dedicated to… the actual concert, that I’m left wanting more, which is a good and bad thing. I wish we saw more of the Butcher, having left the cinema feeling slightly unsatisfied with the amount we got. In a perfect world, more of the runtime would have been dedicated to depicting the Butcher’s intelligence and violent tendencies, as we got so little of the former and none of the latter, with nearly every character in the movie outsmarting him, harming the picture of the mastermind criminal we were supposed to have; more cloak and dagger methods would have awarded the character a more complete identity.

One production decision that astounds me, is making a film centered around a mass murderer for PG-13 audiences. Despite the main character’s bloodthirsty tendencies (that are purely expository) Shyamalan’s audience are largely adults wanting to see the more adult, gruesome side of cinema. The younger audiences the film was made to accommodate for are likely to be in the adjacent screening room watching the latest Marvel movie released this month instead of the new M. Night Shyamalan film.

Acting-wise, the cast are fine and do their jobs. There aren’t any standouts besides Josh Hartnett’s genius portrayal as the Butcher/Cooper, with Hartnett recently returning to Hollywood after an unexpected 14-year hiatus, reappearing without a hitch or need for warm-ups, starring in such features as last year’s Oppenheimer. This came as a shock to Hollywood, as Hartnett employed a complete reversal of the type of roles he plays, moving away from the heartthrob characters to the more complex, morally ambiguous personas.

The background behind Hartnett’s Hollywood hiatus is unknown, yet as Hartnett had a slew of stalkers, with one even turning up to his home with a weapon, claiming to be his father, it’s no surprise he moved away from loveable characters audiences become attached to. Strangely, I have a theory these experiences influenced
Hartnett’s portrayal of Cooper, a psychopath, and believe his interactions with these stalkers helped refine his craft, as his understanding of what a psychopath is and how they behave, even down to their facial cues and audible range, is an accurate representation that only could have come from referring to real-life, up-close case studies.

Salecka’s performance was fine in my book. While other critics have questioned her odd facial expressions at times, I took her performance to be that of a young adult sheltered from the world, raised in the limelight similar to her real-life upbringing. From watching her mannerisms doing the introduction of the film, it was very clear to me she was playing herself. Her music was excellent, and despite the fact the movie does shamelessly promote her new album, it does add to the film in quite a cheeky way, though perhaps the ratio of music to Josh Hartnett could have been better managed. The rest of the cast were fine; Ariel Donoghue played a believable daughter (Riley) to Josh Hartnett’s Cooper, Hayley Mills very much emulated Helen Mirren in her performance as Dr. Josephine Grant, an FBI profiler, and beyond that nobody stood out but everyone did their job satisfactorily.

Trap, while not perfect, is a tense yet enjoyable thriller with a very engaging premise and some funny moments. Performances range from good to great for the core cast, with an ethically corrupt protagonist you can’t help but shamelessly root for. It’s a movie I wish the studio had a little more faith in, one that could have dipped its toes in violence and allowed Shyamalan to explore adult themes again as he did in 2008’s The Happening. This film is certainly a step in the right direction for M. Night, as he inches back to the return to greatness his fans have been waiting for, and I believe he should be supported and encouraged on this path, not maligned as he has in recent years.

The decision remains up to you in whether you’ll be willing to part with your money to purchase a cinema ticket in such a competitive and packed summer period, or wait till the film’s digital release. I certainly would recommend a theatrical watch and will be sure to watch the film for a second time.

Trap releases in cinemas today.