“Trap” Movie Review: M. Night Shyamalan’s latest movie falls short with a predictable plot and numerous inconsistencies, failing to deliver the suspense and thrills fans expect.
Trap Movie Introduction
M. Night Shyamalan is a name synonymous with twist endings and heady plots, and for that alone, his career has been worth wild rises and falls. The new one, “Trap,” seemed to find a lot of his fans hoping for a return to form. However, the movie, now in theaters, gradually goes from mild disappointment to plain disaster. Let’s take a deeper dive into why “Trap” fails to deliver the suspense and excitement that Shyamalan is known for.
How Predictable the Plot Is
First, “Trap” fails to handle suspense from the very beginning. The plot of the movie centers on Cooper, as played by Josh Hartnett, who almost from the very start is unmasked as “The Butcher,” a notorious serial killer. The whole movie is made futile by the discovery so early in the movie, as the audience is not given the suspense usually associated with a Shyamalan film. Any mystery related to the identity of Cooper has been taken away; tautness and intrigue that could have been developed with regard to his character are lacking.
Trap Movie Outrageous Setup
The setup in the movie is replete with implausibilities. The desperate police arranges a pop concert as a bait for Cooper. A scenario involving thousands of concertgoers is a farfetched one and terribly executed. The premise that any police operation could monitor, much less apprehend a serial killer, in that kind of environment is a bit too much to stretch things. It feels desperation in terms of a plot rather than a thoughtout plan.
Trap Movie Character Performances
The movie reclaims itself at times through the acting of the performers. Josh Hartnett, in the role of Cooper, is finely tuned in his act of leading a double life. He commands very well expressively a dualism in the nature of the character—a tender, loving father and a bloodthirsty killer. He does a great job even when the script has flaws and really gives depth to the plot, which was really shallow.
In the midst of this, Ariel Donoghue shines as Cooper’s daughter, Riley. There’s something unmistakably emotionally evocative about the innocent and tender young daughter standing across her darkhearted father. The less said about the lazy writing for her character, the better.
Shyamalan’s Cameo and Missteps
In typical Shyamalan style, he cameos in the film. Unfortunately, he only seems really multi plycrudely contrived as a producer who happens to help Cooper backstage, adding to the incoherence of the movie. The scenes involving Shyamalan’s character feel stretched and hurt the believability of the story.
The film also features, as the star performer of the concert, Lady Raven, played by Saleka Shyamalan, the director’s daughter. Her talent for music cannot be negated, but the impression created here is that the role she played in the movie could well be a vanity exercise in contrast to a justification of plot relevance. The concert scenes, meant to raise the drama, are instead distractions and fail to build the intended suspense.
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Plot Holes and Inconsistencies
“Trap” is full of plot holes and inconsistencies that further blow its credibility. The movie relies so much on coincidence and lucky breaks for Cooper that it’s hard to suspend disbelief. For example, Cooper runs into just the right characters who will help him achieve his escape plans, which feels less clever plotwise and more like lazy writing.
One glaring example is when Cooper needs access backstage and, as his luck would have it, runs into Shyamalan’s character, who offers him a chance to get Riley onstage. All of these events really stretch one’s credulity and hurt the overall narrative integrity of the movie.
Police Ineptitude
The biggest ways in which “Trap” drops the ball are in its portrayal of the police. The police are made to look quite incompetent and helpless, even their chief profiler, who is played by Hayley Mills. Casting Mills—a former child star now well into middle age—in such a role that focuses on the ineptitude of the police force did not help matters either. This deflated an already weak plot and lessened any potential stakes. The audience wonders how such a sloppy operation has any chance of catching someone as elusive as Cooper.
Trap Movie Squandered Chances for Suspense
Shyamalan was once capable of wringing suspense from clever storylines and plot twists, which were the trademarks of his earlier films. In “Trap,” though, he fumbles completely. The movie squanders a lot of chances to build tension or suspense and is instead riddled with predictable plot points and unconvincing situations.
For example, the concert setting might have been used to ramp up the suspense by putting the performances on stage and Cooper’s sinister activities offstage. These scenes are two separate elements that do not help in blending one into the other; therefore, they are not building tension. This disjointedness of scenes makes the movie low on psychological thrills, elements which Shyamalan himself is known for.
Trap Movie Conclusion:-
Ultimately, it’s a disappointment added to the filmography of Shyamalan. Whereas the performance of Josh Hartnett as Cooper is outstanding, the predictability in the plot, unreal setup, and too many inconsistencies make this movie far from being an engaging thriller. Its reliance on coincidences and ineptitude of the police force further detracts from its overall credibility.
Fans who are looking for his return to some form of intensity and mystery in earlier films will find “Trap” to be a disappointment. Touted as a gripping thriller, this movie simply fails to turn out that way. In this way, “Trap” plunges headfirst over the cliff from mere disappointment into outright disaster, leaving audiences yearning for days bygone when a new Shyamalan film would surprise and actually amaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is “Trap Movie” worth watching for Shyamalan fans?
The answer would be that though diehard Shyamalan fans may find something to appreciate in “Trap,” the movie’s predictability and so many inconsistencies make it painful to get through.
2. What is the standout performance in “Trap Movie”?
Josh Hartnett did quite a noticeable job as Cooper, playing out very believably the two sides of this character who is at once a loving father and ruthless serial killer.
3. Are there any effective suspenseful moments in the film?
“Trap” fumbles when it comes to effective suspense, squandering so many opportunities for tension and relying on far too many expected plot beats.
4. How does the film treat the police?
The police are inept and unraveled, which undermines the credibility of the film and lowers the stakes of the story.
5. Is there any big twist in “Trap”?
In contrast to most of Shyamalan’s previous movies, the key turn of events —the twist, if you will—in “Trap” is revealed at the very beginning, tamping down most of the suspense and mystery.