A Bumpy Start
Meet ‘Trap.’ It’s the newest movie from the hotly discussed director, M. Night Shyamalan. No stranger to stirring up the film world, Shyamalan continues giving us movies that raise our brows and get us talking.
The movie tells the story of a guy named Cooper, played by Josh Hartnett. Cooper attends a concert with his daughter Riley and winds up in the middle of an FBI sting operation. It’s no ordinary sting either — the target is a serial killer known as ‘The Butcher.’ And Cooper, as it turns out, just so happens to be ‘The Butcher,’ leading to a thrilling chase with the cops.
The Opening Act
What makes ‘Trap’ fun to watch at first is Hartnett’s performance. His charisma and enthusiasm carry the movie, grabbing your attention from the start. It’s a unique thriller full of surprises, some humor, and lots of on-the-spot figuring out.
Suddenly a Drop
But after a while, things start falling apart. The problems start when Cooper and Riley somehow get backstage. The slog of a narrative begins spiraling away from its earlier promise.
You start noticing how flawed the movie is, especially with Lady Raven’s character, played by Saleka Shyamalan. She starts off brilliantly as a pop star. But when her role gets more demanding in the movie’s second half, things go downhill. The story dumps too much info on her character, making it lose focus and becoming a drag.
You can see other issues too. There are poorly done scenes, things that don’t add up, and well-worn themes repeated over and again. Plus, the movie’s claims of including ideas from ‘Psycho’ and ‘Silence of the Lambs’ feel off and unnecessary.
Reflecting on ‘Trap’
It starts off as a gripping tale of a father and daughter in a tough situation. But that gets lost in a messy plot, bogged down by rushed metaphors. Hartnett gives an excellent performance, but it falls behind jumbled characters and a messed-up story.
‘Trap’ tries to be a thrilling story but misses the mark. It’s not what fans expected from Shyamalan, who has struck gold before. And the letdown end is a far cry from the exciting start, leading to unexpected backlash from critics and fans.
We must remember though, Shyamalan is great at making exciting content. And this is what he needs to focus on to overcome the missteps in ‘Trap’. Fans will be waiting for his next film, hoping it will bring back the old Shyamalan we know and love.
In the end, ‘Trap’ is a classic example of what happens when there isn’t a clear plot and characters aren’t fleshed out well. These are things Shyamalan should remember for his future projects to avoid any pitfalls.
In sum, ‘Trap’ is an uneven thriller that captivates but fails to deliver. But we remain hopeful for better narratives and well-developed characters from Shyamalan’s future films.
For more details, visit Project Casting Blog on https://www.projectcasting.com/blog/news/m-night-shyamalans-trap-a-mixed-bag-of-thriller-excellence-and-failed-storytelling/