‘Trap’ Review- Josh Hartnett Is Chilling
This film was released in 2024.
Trap is a psychological thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It was made by Blinding Edge Pictures and released by Warner Bros. Pictures before being streamed to MAX.
Philadelphia firefighter Cooper Abbott (Josh Hartnett) takes his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see her favorite pop star Lady Draven (Saleka Night Shyamalan) perform live in concert. As the concert proceeds, he notices a great deal of police force. He is told by vendor Jamie (Jonathan Langdon) that it is a trap for the serial killer known as the Butcher. The FBI and local police, under the command of profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), know he is there and they want to arrest him. Cooper, however, has a secret. He is the Butcher, and he will do anything to escape this trap, even kill.
This movie was a tough nut to crack. For the first and second acts, it felt like Shyamalan returned to form. You genuinely got chills as Cooper tries to come up with insane plans to escape, each more desperate and deadly than the previous. However, the third act takes the movie in a totally different direction, making it feel uneven, especially with a climax that lasts way too long.
Harnett is the breakout performance in this thriller. He clearly did his homework, perfectly imitating ticks, facial expressions, and shallow charm that many serial killers exude. His performance is downright terrifying at times, especially when a possible victim stands in his way. The rest of the cast does a good job as well, perfectly complementing his role.
If Shyamalan had trimmed the climax and kept the story confined in a way, this would have been excellent. Instead, the third act introduces new characters who have no context, and we, as the viewers, do not connect with them. Shyamalan needed to tighten the script a bit, it would have been excellent. I honestly think he just did not know how to end it, so he tacked on several unnecessary scenes to lead up to a climax that took way too long.
Bottom line, Trap has a great start, a compelling middle, and excellent performances, but ultimately falters as it nears the conclusion.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Strong foul language, Violence, Frightening images
FAVORITE QUOTE: You know the Butcher? That freakin’ nutjob that goes around just chopping people up? Well, the feds or whatever heard that he’s gonna be here today, so they set up a trap for him. This whole concert? It’s a trap. They’re watching all the exits, checking everyone that leaves. There’s no way to get out of here. It’s kinda dope, right?
Check out the trailer below:
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