TRAP: Is M. Night Shyamalan Done with Twists?
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TRAP, the latest film from Warner Bros. Studios, hit theaters August 2nd. Starring Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill, TRAP is about a serial killer named Cooper who takes his daughter to concert, only to discover that it’s a trap set up specifically for his capture.
When the first trailer was released for TRAP and M. Night Shyamalan’s name was attached as director, people online were theorizing what the Shayamalan-esque twist would be.
I think the twist is the one in the trailer and there isn’t a big twist.
— In Love with Horror | Kristie (@nlovewithhorror) August 1, 2024
What are your theories? https://t.co/GGME9VDTiA
Maybe they are both killers
— LeAnne Bell (@sonsofhorror) August 1, 2024
I think the twist is that he isn’t the only killer or that he only kills pop stars. With him it’s always a twist🙄
— Asia.Dee (@Creepazoid9) August 1, 2024
TRAP follows Cooper (Josh Hartnett), known as "The Butcher", while at a concert with his daughter. Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) is collaborating with a FBI profiler (Hayley Mills) to trap "The Butcher", which we see in the movie trailer. Throughout the film, we are watching Cooper discover what is really going on and how he attempts to find a way out, all while at a live concert. Cooper’s daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), is oblivious to who her father really is and spends a majority of the film trying to figure out why Dad is acting so weird.
In an interview with Debbie Elliot on npr, Shyamalan stated: “That’s what’s fun about it. It’s – you know, girls screaming their heads off ’cause they’re in love with the singer, and you’re having a fantastic time. There’s this incredible music, and everyone’s jumping around, and our main character is having just the opposite experience.”
And it’s that experience that drives TRAP's narrative. We sit with Cooper during this live, in real time, concert as he does his best to outsmart the swarm of police inside and outside the concert building. It is a very simple, straightforward cat and mouse thriller.
So there’s no twist?
Shyamalan fans will be looking for another twist other than what we already know from the trailer and they may be slightly disappointed. While TRAP isn’t without suspense and surprises, there are no major twists. But does there need to be?
M. Night Shyamalan has spent the bulk of his film career making films with twists that flip the entire narrative on its head. But now, with his previous film, Knock at the Cabin (2023) and now TRAP, without any twists, many are asking if Shyamalan is done with twists.
Shyamalan is one of the most talented writer-directors of this generation. He has given us great films such as The Sixth Sense, Split, and Old. His filmography includes over 15 films that he's written and directed and even a couple that he wrote that I am sure you had no idea about (Stuart Little, She's All That).
I believe Shyamalan is trying to evolve and redefine himself as a director. But while TRAP doesn’t give us a mind-altering twist, it is still filled with twists and turns that we have come to identify with his work. The film does its job in keeping viewers guessing and all we do is sit back and enjoy the ride.
Josh Hartnett as Cooper, the consistent suspense, the close up shots and the incorporation of comedic moments made for a solid foundation for the film. But it’s the final act where it loses its footing and becomes what Shyamalan is also known for: messy endings.
Shyamalan’s pitch for TRAP was “What if The Silence of the Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert?” I can’t help but think about the quote from the book that states, “Problem-solving is hunting; it is savage pleasure and we are born to it." Cooper’s problem-solving was the best part of this film.
While it has its faults when it comes to pacing and a few questionable plot choices, it was still an entertaining and fun ride. TRAP did what it set out to do.
⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐