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Film reviews

Trap Review

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I am a fan of M. Night Shyamalan. Some of his films can be hit or miss for many, but all of them have are unique in his sense of directing. This was not the case with Trap though, as it truly repeated. If audiences have seen the trailer or TV spot numerous times, then the film itself may be a disappointment. I found myself feeling like each outcome was already in the back of my mind. The mediocrity of Trap is its layout—a concert with thousands of people and one target. That whole outline was already presented in the trailer. There is no misleading or captivating misdirection to find a joyful aspect of suspense in Trap.

The film is focuses on Cooper (played by Josh Hartnett), and his daughter Riley (played by Ariel Donoghue). Cooper takes his daughter to a pop concert at an arena type venue. There are thousands of people and all kinds of security. The high amounts of personnel make Cooper feel curious and uneasy. He does a lot of looping around in and out of the concert to put the pieces together. Apparently, there is a killer on the loose, and the concert is a hole for him to fall into. Cooper goes through all kinds of corridors to get answers. The question soon arises if he himself is the killer.

The stadium setting of the film is probably the point of scarcity. The rest of the film is a blur. There is direct dialogue that seems comical and witty, which does add to the fun, but not to the peril which the audience might expect. With Shyamalan being a man of limits and set in his ways, Trap has that approach and relies almost too much on that style to carry it through. The concept of thinking about a concert and a strange personality with Hartnett’s performance is the proper tactic where audiences will grasp the most from the story.

Questions of fear stroll through Trap. What if Cooper is the killer? Does that interfere with the concert moment for his daughter? Does that put others in danger? Are there other aspects of his personality that are hidden. The characterization of Hartnett’s performance has him in a continuously twitchy and nervous mode (this is also seen in the trailer). As I have said before, if audiences have seen the trailers, most of the film is kind of given away. It is just not unique as it searches for tactics of surprise for the audience. It would have been better to have more originality within the concert setup from Shyamalan.  It would have taken it in a direction completely opposite than how Trap progresses and falls flat.

One of the most dreadful (almost two hours) I have had recently. A film that felt like a long concert with no attention-grabbing dialogue. Only a quiet mode of Tetris trying to find an escape and survival. Trap is one of the least engaging films from Shyamalan. There are so many rushed moments throughout andalso many that do not seem to make sense at all. “Sense” in the direction of finding the routes for what may seem appealing and entertaining. Two out of four stars for Trap.

Film reviews

The Watchers Review

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From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter Ishana Shyamalan, The Watchers has promising value. It displays a layout for terror where audiences would have to use their minds. It has a setting where the direction is unique. It has an area where terror may lead the audience to shiver. Sadly, it is not that amazing. Ishana’s dad produced the film. It feels like a film that was in her father’s direction. It is a tail of lacking components that lack surreal emotions.

Ishana’s father knows how to tie connections into his films. He does so in contrast to what is lost and found. There is that element tied into The Watchers. My conflict is how detrimental the film feels. There is confusion that begins at the top of the film.

The film focuses on Mina (played by Dakota Fanning). She is an artist trying to find her roots. She finds herself in Western Ireland. A car crash puts her in a forest that is in great danger. Mina is not alone. She finds shelter in a mysterious bunker with three other survivors. Those three characters are Madeline (played by Olwen Fouere), Ciara (played by Georgina Campbell), and Daniel (played by Oliver Finnegan). The bunker has a glass wall and an electronic light used for the night hours. Mina realizes that she is an additional one hiding from the creatures in the forest. They are called The Watchers. They rise above the ground. The bunker is the only place of shelter. How long can Mina, Madeline, Ciara, and Daniel hide though?

There is that element where noises bring the creatures to have powers. The Watchers feel repetitive, especially with a franchise already going along these lines with A Quiet Place. The Watchers take this direction with grains of salt to create a more euphoric atmosphere. It does not work well. It is a dynamic of four survivors putting together a puzzle as to why they are all stuck in the bunker.

I did not feel scared of The Watchers. I had a few moments where I jumped and was surprised. Even the tactics of the film,trying to be unsettling, did not feel that way either. The only moment where I was scared was by the creatures being seen as wendigos. That is what made me think the film is going in a fairytale aspect of scares. Its presentation was still lacking.

It is a thriller about continued boredom. The Watchers try to bring in all the evil for suspense with little explanation. It tries to blindside its audience in characterizations with misdirection of trust. There is that idea that one of the survivors may have a demonic side to what is going on. The logic is a mess surrounding the puzzle of The Watchers.

The idea is promising, but the quality is the problem. The Watchers feels like a blend of previous ideas from previous projects thrown into a film of just over ninety minutes. Some may enjoy its plot, some may be confused, and some may find it hit or miss. Two out of four stars for The Watchers.