M. Night Shyamalan is a well-known name in the cinema world, but he is not a premier director, he is not in the same class as Scorsese or Tarantino, but he is well known for one key aspect in all of his films. They have twists. He always takes what we know and throws it on its head. With Trap, it seemed like the twist was being presented in the commercials, but of course, there was more to come as the movie chugged along and the stakes got raised.
Trap follows Cooper and Riley, a father and daughter, who are going to a pop star’s concert, but this is no ordinary concert, it is actually a trap for Cooper, who is also known as the Butcher, a local serial killer, and once he finds this out, he starts to look for a way out. So occasionally, he will leave his daughter behind, or take her with him as he wanders around the arena. There are SWAT team members everywhere, and the whole arena is surrounded by troops as well, but there was a rumor that the back stage exit is not being protected, so Cooper finds a way to get his daughter called up on to the stage, and after the concert, he uses Lady Raven to help them sneak out, but he has to reveal his identity to the pop-star, which really puts him in a precarious position. This is when the story really starts to get twisty and turny.
The twists did not make this movie interesting though, what made the movie was Josh Hartnett. He absolutely carried the movie. He vacillates back and forth between serious and funny. He seems like such a normal weird dude, and he never lets the pressure crack him. On top of that, he is an expert liar. It makes him a very believable serial killer. There are also times when he gets that look in his eyes, and he suddenly seems so much more sinister, he even knew how to play the intonation of his speech so perfectly. In tense situations, like when he was talking to the cops on the roof, he was able to come across as so aloof, so that he could continue to go unsuspected, and he was so friendly to strangers for the most part. Even when he made ridiculous suggestions, it felt like it fit the character.
Also, even though he is a serial killer, Hartnett is so fun that you cannot help but root for him. It seems so odd, but you do not want him to get caught, but that could be that our interactions with him start out with his daughter, and he seems like a good dad, so you do not want him to be taken away from his daughter and the rest of his family. Very manipulative, but in a masterfully directed way.
The comedy in this movie was also pretty good. I laughed out loud multiple times, which is better than some comedies recently. The only problem is that I am unsure how much of the comedy was unintentional. My favorite moment was when another singer popped out of the floor and the trap door stayed open, and Cooper asked his daughter if she wanted to climb down there to see if there was anything interesting. A totally ridiculous ask, and the daughter responds as such. There are also multiple scenes, where the SWAT and police come off incredibly stupid, and for a whole arena that is covered with cameras, Cooper gets away with a couple of things that should have been flagged and examined, like when he pushes a drunk lady down the stairs. They did not go back and look at that? Also he steals a police radio, and the chief gives a very in depth monologue on what they are doing to prevent him from escaping, it is all a ridiculous coincidence.
As far as the twists go in this one, they were okay. There is nothing that mind blowing like in The Sixth Sense or The Visit. It is just pretty standard murder mystery family drama fodder. It did help answer some questions, because I was very confused how they knew the killer was going to be at the concert, but they had no idea who they were actually looking for. Some of it just did not make much sense, but the twists helped to explain some of it.
Shyamalan is also doing something cool with his Hollywood clout. Earlier this year, his daughter was able to direct her first movie, which had an interesting concept, but it ultimately fell flat. He was one of the main producers for that film too, and in this film, his other daughter was one of the main actors in the film, and she was in charge of making up some of the original music. Her performance was okay, but the music seemed like it could be legit pop. Either way, it is awesome that he is getting his family involved.
Overall, I did not love the movie. I gave it 2.5 stars, but it was not bad. Like I said, Josh Hartnett played a key role in me feeling this way, but the overall movie experience itself was not bad either. The theater was relatively full, which always makes it better, especially getting to experience the reactions with others, and in a movie with twists, that makes it more enjoyable. After watching The Visit and Trap in back-to-back days, I am still in on Shyamalan. If he keeps making movies, I will still be excited to see them, but just one time, I would like him to make a movie without a twist, and that would be his biggest twist of all.
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