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 the promise and talent he once wielded. Once known as the master of twist endings, Shyamalan doesn't seem to be that director anymore. He appears to have lost his sheen and Trap is a sad reminder of it.

Trap follows the story of a father-daughter duo attending a concert full of temperamental Gen Z kids and their parents. But they surely don't seem to be his target audience as the thriller is not pacy enough to capture their attention. For a more mature audience, it's too drab and the 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 the audience know about this, but Riley, too, is aware. Trap is described as a serial killer on the loose at a concert. The threat then looms large, setting the stage for edge-of-the-seat moments. However, the storyline progresses without much appeal. The pace builds up only after half-an-hour into the film, when the cops enter the concert on the look-out for the ''butcher''. However, with the constant intercutting between Cooper's family moments, the music concert and the investigation, everything gets muddled.  

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

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

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

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

Rating: 1.5/5 stars