Entertainment Blog #279 | Trap [2024] : A Thriller of Twists, Tensions, and Troubled Minds

M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap presents a chilling narrative that weaves the pressures of everyday family life into a psychological thriller, drawing on the fragile relationship between a father and his daughter. It cleverly explores the familiar experience of attending a concert with the lurking, unseen darkness that can exist behind closed doors. While few of us are hiding such sinister secrets, the struggle of trying to maintain appearances for loved ones is a concept most can relate to. In Trap, these tensions spiral, unraveling in ways that make us question how well we really know the people closest to us.

Trap is a psychological thriller movie, just like any other M. Night Shyamalan movie. It was hit on theatres on August 2, 2024. The film was written, directed, and produced by Shyamalan, with a cast led by Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, and Saleka Night Shyamalan. Hartnett takes on the role of Cooper, a serial killer navigating a police manhunt while attending a pop concert with his daughter. The film explores themes of deception and identity, propelled by Shyamalan’s trademark twists. The ensemble, including Hayley Mills as the determined FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant, offers strong performances, blending suspense with the personal stakes of a family on the edge.

The plot follows Cooper Abbott, a Philadelphia firefighter, who takes his daughter Riley to a pop concert as a reward. However, the concert quickly becomes a high-stakes setting when Cooper learns the FBI is hunting a notorious serial killer, “The Butcher,” who is attending the same event. Unbeknownst to Riley, her father is the very killer the authorities are after. As Cooper tries to evade capture, he manipulates everyone around him, from vendors to the pop star herself, Lady Raven, whose life becomes entangled in his deadly game. Shyamalan teases the audience by showing Cooper’s calculated actions while maintaining suspense over how and when he might slip.

Cooper’s carefully laid plans begin to unravel when he is forced to use his daughter’s stardom to escape. As Riley is selected to join Lady Raven on stage, Cooper's desperation grows, forcing him to make increasingly reckless choices. The tension builds as the police presence tightens, and Cooper’s grip on his dual identity loosens. Meanwhile, Lady Raven uncovers the horrifying truth about Cooper and plays her own dangerous game, trying to free herself while keeping Riley safe.

In a gripping finale, Cooper’s world collapses as his secrets spill into the open. What follows is a psychological showdown where Cooper confronts his wife, Rachel, and the truth about her role in the FBI’s investigation comes to light. The film teeters between cat-and-mouse chase and emotional reckoning, leading to a conclusion that keeps the audience on edge, wondering who will make it out unscathed and whether Cooper can ever truly be stopped.

Trap stands apart from other thrillers in how it marries a traditional family drama with the horror of a man hiding monstrous secrets. Shyamalan’s distinctive direction, paired with the musical backdrop provided by Saleka, enriches the atmosphere, transforming a pop concert into a battleground for survival. The blend of live music and psychological tension offers a unique visual and emotional experience, with Shyamalan framing ordinary events in extraordinary, suspenseful ways.

Critically, Trap has been met with mixed responses. Some reviewers praise the film’s tension and inventive narrative, while others feel it suffers from pacing issues in the middle acts. Hartnett’s portrayal of a man on the edge of collapse has been widely lauded, though the film's intricate plotting may leave casual viewers struggling to keep up. Its Rotten Tomatoes score currently sits at 65%, with audiences split on whether Shyamalan has managed to recapture his earlier magic or if the film falls short of its ambitious premise.

With a production budget of $30 million, Trap has grossed $76.6 million worldwide, a modest success for a film of its scale. The film’s intimate scope, paired with strong performances, underscores its psychological depth. In conclusion, Trap is an intriguing watch, especially for fans of tense thrillers and Shyamalan’s signature narrative twists. Though not without flaws, it offers enough thrills and thought-provoking moments to make it a worthy entry in the psychological thriller genre.