M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap is yet another misfire in a career defined by diminishing returns.
What starts as a promising concept—a father caught in an FBI sting at a concert—quickly devolves into an incoherent mess that relies on contrived plot devices and cheap gimmicks to hold the audience’s attention.
Josh Hartnett’s performance as Cooper, a doting father and secret serial killer, is the film’s only redeeming quality. He does his best with a script that gives him almost nothing to work with.
But no matter how much nuance Hartnett brings, it’s impossible to save a character whose survival depends on absurd twists and laughable luck. Shyamalan doesn’t trust his audience or his characters enough to let them breathe, opting instead for increasingly ridiculous scenarios that stretch believability to the breaking point.
The film’s setting, a concert by a pop star with godlike status, is squandered by poor execution. The arena, which should be a claustrophobic nightmare, feels hollow and uninspired.
Worse, the casting of Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka, as the concert’s megastar, feels like nepotism at its worst. Her performance is wooden and lacks the charisma needed to pull off the role, leaving her scenes flat and cringeworthy .
Shyamalan’s signature twist, expected by now, is delivered so early that it barely qualifies as one. Instead, the film limps along, with each new revelation feeling more absurd than the last. By the time the credits roll, you’re left wondering how such an interesting premise could go so wrong .
Ultimately, Trap is a film that’s trapped by its own mediocrity. Hartnett’s effort is wasted in a movie that is more interested in cheap tricks than delivering on the promise of its intriguing setup.
It’s a disposable thriller that will be forgotten as soon as the lights come up.
