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.
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