Some people would consider tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour a dream come true. For others, the cost, crowds, and music may completely disinterest them. M. Night Shyamalan’s “Trap”, however, takes the latter to nightmare levels.
Parents terrified to spend exorbitant amounts of money and time for Gen Z pop artists have nothing on the film’s murderous “protagonist”, Cooper, identified to the public as “The Butcher” (Josh Harnett). As the FBI sets up the trap to catch “The Butcher” at the concert, Cooper plans his escape while audiences follow his actions.
Shyamalan and His Defining Twists
For more than twenty years, M. Night Shyamalan has been a defining voice in horror cinema. Throughout his career, he has experienced several critical and commercial ups and downs. He first introduced his signature “twists” with “The Sixth Sense” (1999). While not all audiences may enjoy these twists, with some criticising his continued application of them, others have admonished his attempts to move away from this hallmark.
With a career cemented on subversion, Shyamalan seemed to embrace this quality for his newest film, “Trap”. In the early promotional material, they immediately revealed the “twist” that the film’s murderer, known as “The Butcher”, was the central concertgoer’s father. By giving up this aspect, Shyamalan intentionally diverted away from preconceptions towards the film and his style, while still pleasing his fanbase with that coveted “gotcha” moment.
While “Trap” may give up its hand a lot quicker than Shyamalan’s other works, it’s forced to rely more on anticipation. The film essentially works backwards from his other films by revealing its “twist” only a few moments into the movie.
Suspenseful Stars
To play a murderous villain is not an easy feat. To play one with great charisma and palpable apprehension is much harder yet Josh Harnett stuns in this role. Harnett, known best for films like “The Faculty” (1998) and “Pearl Harbor” (2001), masterfully blends genuine fear, anger, and adoration for his daughter while attempting to evade punishment.
What “Trap” lacks in storytelling, Harnett makes up for in a natural performance. In an interview with the New York Times, Harnett praised the multitudes the character offered him, remarking on the ways individuals convince themselves of what’s moral and what’s not. In defining Cooper, Harnett stated that he is, “a damaged sociopath who kills people and is also living this second life in suburbia, as seemingly a very loving dad and husband… His darkness has never come in contact with this other side until this day. What I loved about this, which is so twisted, is it’s a serial killer learning that he’s not entirely a monster”.
Other performances include Ariel Donoghue as Riley, Cooper’s daughter, and Hayley Mills as an FBI agent and profiler. Most standout, however, is Johnathan Langdon as Jamie, a merch vendor at the concert. Jamie acts as an intermediary between Cooper and the FBI raid, infusing comedy into an ever-growing, anxiety-inducing situation. Langdon’s charisma is so palpable that his biggest line has already developed into a meme, helping to grow “Trap’s” online presence.
A Stand-in For Taylor Swift
With a premise set at a popular concert, “Trap” required a key figure to portray such a megastar. Enter Saleka, an R&B singer and daughter of Shyamalan. Saleka’s inclusion never appears forced, even though people have recently chided rampant nepotism. The film’s songs, which she wrote, and her stage performance may not compare to the likes of Taylor Swift, the pop star she is imitating, but it’s believable to the film.
One critique often noted on, however, was that her prevalence in the film often takes up more time than it should. The film’s original music album is forty-five minutes of “Lady Raven”, in contrast to the film’s runtime of a little less than two hours.
In a film reliant on tension and uncertainty, the storytelling feels stilted as we quickly jump from Cooper’s overwhelming anxieties to choreographed pop ballads. It’s only here that worries of nepotism hold great standing as Shyamalan seemingly sacrifices tone and uniformity to highlight his daughter’s talents.
Having said that, Saleka impersonates a pop star very well. If she continues with her songwriting and stage presence as she did in “Trap”, we can expect to see her in more mainstream media soon.
Can “Trap” Save Shyamalan’s Image?
Every time a new Shyamalan movie is released, critics and audiences can’t wait to see if it answers one question: Does Shyamalan still have what it takes? While I’m not sure if this is the right way to address someone’s work, I can say that “Trap” is an entertaining addition to his filmography. Possibly not as cerebral as his other works, “Trap” never presents itself in that way.
It may not have as longstanding of a reputation as some of his defining works, but “Trap” is promised to be an amusing time, a true popcorn flick. While some story beats are not executed as seamlessly and the runtime is padded to favour Lady Raven, Shyamalan still has it in regards to making a somewhat campy, yet gripping thriller.
