Trap Movie Review: A Plain Thriller Missing The M Night Shyamalan Twist

Trap, director M Night Shyamalan's latest, can't be much of a disappointment for those who have followed his filmography of late. It doesn't do justice to promise and talent he once wielded. Once known as master of twist endings, Shyamalan doesn't seem to be that director anymore. He appears to have lost his sheen and Trap is a s reminder of it.

Trap follows story of a far-daughter duo attending a concert full of temperamental Gen Z kids and ir parents. But y surely don't seem to be his target audience as thriller is not pacy enough to capture ir attention. For a more mature audience, it's too drab and seen-before kind. Josh Harnett plays Cooper who attends a music concert with Riley, his daughter. However, early on it is revealed that Cooper is up to something fishy.

Not only does audience know about this, but Riley, too, is aware. Trap is described as a serial killer on loose at a concert. threat n looms large, setting stage for edge-of--seat moments. However, storyline progresses without much appeal. pace builds up only after half-an-hour into film, when cops enter concert on look-out for ''butcher''. However, with constant intercutting between Cooper's family moments, music concert and investigation, everything gets muddled.  

For Shyamalan to be struggling in a filmmaking landscape where even minimalism works, with all budget Trap carries, his mistakes are difficult to overlook. Josh Harnett tries to save film with his one-man act, but it's not nearly enough as movie drags on for way too long without much happening for characters and, in turn, story.

Shyamalan's daughter Saleka plays role of pop-star Ly Raven in Trap. Considering her background in music, she does bring some prior experience to role but hardly leaves an impression. However, her scenes with Harnett prove to be hook for film. re is a constant undercurrent of tension between m as Ly raven is privy to secrets Cooper is hiding. Given this, Saleka holds up well in her portions of movie.

Unfortunately, or characters fe into backdrop and are hardly noticeable. Alison Pill, however, has a good supporting character to essay and does justice to portrayal.

To sum up, Trap does not measure up to promise that Shayamalan once arrived with. A certain excitement accompanied his releases but it's all gone up in smoke, with director's style too looking obsolete. tension that's set up tres down a middling path and vision seems contained, like audiences at Ly Raven's concert and those watching Trap. 

Rating: 1.5/5 stars