“A father and his teen daughter attend a pop concert only to realize they’ve entered the center of a dark and sinister event.” – IMDb
Trap (2024)
Starring
Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Alison Pill
Directed by
M. Night Shyamalan
Written by
M. Night Shyamalan
Storyline
*Contains Spoilers*
Cooper Abbott (Harshnett) plays Cooper Abbott, a father taking his teenage daughter, Riley, to a pop concert (Lady Raven’s) to celebrate her getting good grades. Here, he notices an unusual amount of police officers guarding the venue. When he speaks to one of the vendors, he’s told that a serial killer is attending the concert and the FBI hopes to capture him. When we see him checking his phone, it is revealed that Cooper is the Butcher. It shows live video footage of the latest person he is holding captive in an unknown location.
Throughout the film, we see Cooper trying to find ways out of the venue without causing suspicion. Keep in mind, he has to think of how to do so while keeping his daughter out of harm’s way. I cannot say more without giving away the film’s main events. However, more people become involved as time goes on. You are left wondering if/how he will evade the police. And, will his family be affected and made aware of the truth of who this father and husband is?
Thoughts
As with all Shyamalan films, I went into watching Trap thinking, “Shyamalan always has a twist in his movies but HE knows that WE know his films are like this. So, maybe, there won’t be a shocking turn of events and it will just be left as a thriller. To this, I recommend going into the movie without trying to guess what will happen. Simply enjoy it for what it is. (I know that can be hard sometimes).
I didn’t grow up as a fan of Hartnett’s; I never understood why so many people found him so swoon-worthy. His acting in this is what you’d expect with the exception of one scene that made me think, “That was WELL done”. It was as though you could see a dark cloud go over his face and I thought it was really added to the scene.
Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, and Alison Pill all play strong, smart and kind characters. The film touches base on the intricacies of being a teenager and the relationships that form at this age. (Bullies usually have bullies as role models etc). Overall, I have no complaints about any of the acting. It can seem cheesy, yes, but that’s sort of the whole vibe of this movie anyway.
All in all, the film as a whole feels like a fun thriller you’d let your teenager go see with their friends. It’s nothing spectacular but it’s not the worst movie I’ve ever watched either. As long as you don’t go in with high expectations, I’m sure it won’t seem too disappointing to anyone. Compared to other Shyamalan films, this one isn’t ranking too high on my list. But, it’s not the worst I’ve seen either.
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