Trap

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Alison Pill, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Langdon, Mark Bacolcol, Marnie McPhail, Scott Mescudi, Russell "Russ" Vitale, Marcia Bennett, Lochlan Miller
Running Time: 105 min.

**The Following Review Contains Plot Spoilers For 'Trap' **

★★½ (out of ★★★★)

When the trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's Trap seemed to reveal key information about its plot, many started complaining that the writer/director's latest twist had already been let out of the bag.  But it turns out this big hook is unveiled within the first ten minutes and knowing it beforehand wouldn't adversely effect anyone's perception of the picture. What Shyamalan should instead be concerned about is that assumption, which indicates certain audiences still perceive him as primarily offering only shocks and jolts. 

That overall interest in seeing this waned the moment potential viewers felt they knew too much is a troubling sign, but one familiar to Shyamalan. Sometimes the stigma is earned, but often it isn't, with 2023's Knock at the Cabin recently proving he's capable of controlled restraint when necessary. On an upswing of late, his output really needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis since you're never sure which version of the director will show up. This time we get a bit of both, even if overindulgence wins out in the end. 

Armed with an incredible premise, good use is made of a unique setting and circumstances, at least until contrivances start piling up and open plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. You always accept some of this with the divisive Shyamalan and even occasionally embrace it, but the logic lapses are just too immense to ignore here. There's no denying the entertainment value, but after arriving at a finale that would send everyone home happy, he keeps going. And then goes further.

When Philadelphia firefighter Cooper Abbott (Josh Hartnett) takes his teen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to her favorite pop star Lady Raven's (Saleka Night Shyamalan) concert, the packed arena is crawling with cops and FBI agents. They've been tipped off that a serial killer known as the "Butcher" will be in attendance that night, which means big trouble for Cooper, who's been leading a double life for the past seven years. A doting dad to Riley, he's been secretly kidnapping and chopping up victims as the Butcher while remaining a step ahead of law enforcement. 

With Lady Raven's concert serving as a front for this giant trap, veteran FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills) thinks she finally has the Butcher's number. The authorities' presence isn't exactly a well kept secret, but Cooper needs to continually think of ways to avoid being identified and caught. As Grant's team closes in, he'll puts his and Riley's lives in jeopardy by orchestrating a risky escape plan that sets the stage for a collision of two worlds he's been desperately trying to keep separated.

While the concert's entire purpose is to trap Cooper and elaborate stings like these do have some basis in reality, what follows becomes increasingly hard to swallow. Between all the cops, Cooper's onslaught of cringy dad jokes and suspicious behavior, it isn't long before we're clued in to what's going on, if that wasn't already obvious prior to seeing the film. So nearly all the suspense hinges on how he'll overcome this impossible predicament. 

Initially, Shyamalan does everything right, as Cooper maintains the tricky balance of ensuring Riley's distracted enough for him to evade capture. In the process he'll have to contend with angry moms, guarded exits and the fact he inevitably sticks out like a sore thumb in a venue swarming with tween and teen girls. As a concertgoer, he's a sitting duck, so he manipulates his way backstage to gain the intel necessary to outsmart the FBI and slide out. And that's when Shyamalan starts stumbling. 

Cooper manages to attain what can best be described as impossible access, even for the craftiest criminal. And that doesn't even account for inexplicable details like paper concert receipts or the notion this major pop star would have no visible security detail with a manhunt underway. Sandwiched in between those holes (including a literal one Cooper contemplates escaping through) are some inspired sequences that involve him leveraging Riley as part of his escape and convincing staff to incorporate her into the show. 

For all its flaws, the father-daughter dynamic is handled well, rarely letting us forget Cooper's worst nightmare isn't getting caught, but the crack that would cause in the carefully choreographed facade he's put on for his family. In his twisted mind, the ramifications of these two lives merging doesn't occur to him until being found out becomes a real possibility. 

As Cooper navigates each new obstacle, Shyamalan stretches the rubber band of credibility until it eventually snaps. Cooper's three quarters of the way out of this mess and nearly home free until the script has him make a mind boggling decision, especially for a supposedly meticulous criminal obsessed with covering his tracks. Even worse, there's no reason for it other than to get them out of the arena and extend the plot. And that means whatever rumors we heard about the action taking place in real time or unfolding exclusively at the concert can be now put to bed. 

Once the setting shifts, what plays out is a bizarre cross between Dexter and Saw, complete with a time sensitive basement trap. There's also a crucial development involving Cooper's devoted wife Rachel (Alison Pill), as the final act flies off the rails in excitingly awful ways. There are about five endings, including one last element so over-the-top it flirts with the supernatural, making you wonder if this story was originally intended to join Unbreakable, Split and Glass in Shyamalan's self-contained universe. 

The reason to see this is Hartnett, who gives a wickedly charismatic performance in his big leading role return, elevating even the most ridiculous developments and remaining entirely believable amidst a situation that isn't. And for all the criticism directed at Shyamalan for casting his own daughter Saleka, she's actually very good, with her real life experience as a singer and entertainer successfully translating into this portrayal of a fictitious pop superstar. 

Saleka's role is surprisingly large and crucial, calling upon the acting novice to do some heavy dramatic lifting. Unfortunately, her brave character's actions would seem implausible for anyone other than Taylor Swift on her most heroic day, but that's a writing issue. The Parent Trap's Hayley Mills playing an FBI profiler is a clever in-joke, while as Riley, young Ariel Donoghue perfectly captures the exuberance of a teen whose whole universe revolves around attending her idol's concert.  

It's almost exhausting how many wrenches are thrown into this narrative, before it delivers a final blow that ensures audiences are spent by the time the credits roll. Trap hinges on such a specific, elaborate set-up that after an early attempt at covering his bases, Shyamalan just sort of throws his hands in the air, deciding it's easier to take shortcuts instead. The result is definitely an experience, albeit the kind of fascinatingly messy one we've come to expect from one of our most polarizing filmmakers.    

Twisters

Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, Nik Dodani, David Corenswet, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O' Brian
Running Time: 122 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

As a follow-up to 1996's hit disaster film Twister, Lee Isaac Chung's Twisters far exceeds reasonable expectations, proving sometimes it's worth waiting for legacy sequels we didn't know we needed. A skilled director, the right cast and a tightly woven, surprisingly intelligent script results in the kind of summer blockbuster experience that's recently fallen by the wayside. Beyond just sharing a writer and star, it compares favorably to Top Gun: Maverick by taking everything that worked in the original and building on it.  

The question going in would be how they'd approach a second installment nearly thirty years after cows flying across our screens seemed like a huge deal. Considering the lengths we've come, you can't help but wonder whether disaster films like this even carry the same cultural currency they did decades ago. Storms that felt like once in a lifetime occurrences are now commonplace as the media inundates us with images of weather-related destruction on a daily basis. 

You may also wonder why fictitious scientists and meteorologists would waste their time physically chasing storms when modern tracking technology has advanced so far beyond anything depicted in the original. But the best thing about Twisters is how it accounts for this, crafting an entirely new plot around that very idea.

It's been five years since Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) led her crew into an EF5 tornado, attempting to use the Dorothy V doppler to reduce the storm's intensity and secure future research funding. Instead, the tornado took the lives of friends and team members Addy (Kiernan Shipka), Praveen (Nik Dodani) and her boyfriend Jeb (Daryl McCormack). Still wracked with guilt, Kate works in New York's NOAA office, where she's contacted by her team's other remaining survivor, Javi (Anthony Ramos). After some initial resistance, she accepts her former friend's single week offer to join his mobile Storm Par team as they test a revolutionary new tornado scanning radar. 

Kate returns home to tornado alley in Oklahoma where she and Javi's team encounter popular YouTube storm chaser and self-professed "Tornado Wrangler" Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and his crew consisting of videographer Boone (Brandon Perea), drone operator Lily (Sasha Lane), scientist Dexter (Tunde Adebimpe) and mechanic Dani (Katy O'Brien). Also tagging along is petrified British journalist Ben (Harry Haden-Paton), who's doing a profile on Tyler. As the two squads clash for access during a dangerous tornado outbreak, Kate and Tyler feud, allegiances get tested and they all risk their lives battling the unpredictable force of these natural disasters.

Those certain this would open with a childhood flashback echoing the original will be relieved to discover Mark L. Smith's script takes a more immediately impactful route for the prologue. It isn't often characters you assume will carry the rest of the movie are killed off within the first fifteen minutes, but the tactic does create a sense of urgency that propels the plot forward, its ramifications not lost on either the viewers or protagonist. 

Out of that comes a solid setup, wherein Kate must overcome her trauma to finish the job she started five years earlier but has given up finishing. Javi's pitch for her to join him is a good one since his new technology seems focused on preventing future catastrophes, offering Kate another chance to make the positive difference she originally intended. But while they clearly need her expertise, a stark contrast is drawn between the corporate funded Storm Par and Tyler's ragtag gang of misfits seeking social media views. Neither side represents what Kate initially assumes, leading to some compelling developments that test everyone's character.

British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones has been popping up everywhere of late, but she's an unexpected natural as Kate, entertainingly trading dry, sarcastic jabs with Powell while still fulfilling every other requirement asked of her in the action scenes and beyond. When the narrative undergoes a major shift midway through, it turns into the Glen Powell show, as he flexes his considerable charisma as the type of rogue, cocky cowboy that would have been played by Matthew McConaughey in the 90's. And he pulls it off just as smoothly, especially when Tyler's personality and motivations evolve, taking the story where it needs to go. 

Of Powell's recent breakthroughs, Hit Man may still be his best, but this one stands as the biggest example yet of why his movie star presence has earned those Tom Cruise comparisons. As for the rest of the crowded cast, they more than hold up their ends, including Maura Tierney as Kate's estranged mom and future Superman David Corenswet as Javi's less than accommodating business partner. 

It wouldn't even be accurate to say this has a romantic sub-plot since it's so restrained and subtly handled you may not notice it's there. Chung knows what really needs emphasis in the final stretch, which of course features the tornado to end all tornadoes. The teams scramble to save lives while Kate struggles to implement her updated innovation, leading to a really impressive last act.

If the original was all about spectacle, this definitely doesn't lack that with much improved visual effects, along with an acknowledgement of the permanent mark these tornadoes leave on rural residents who survive them. It won't be mistaken for a Weather Channel documentary anytime soon, but considering how this issue was barely addressed in the first film, there's just enough of it here to raise the stakes. 

It's clear everyone involved with Twisters worked to avoid the traps that typically plague event sequels, and despite the usual groans from skeptics when an acclaimed indie filmmaker supposedly "sells out," it doesn't apply to Minari director Chung, who's made a worthy successor. Remaining true to the original's spirit, the whole concept gets a refresh that feels comfortably familiar, earning its place under the Amblin Entertainment banner by invoking Spielberg's 80's and 90's adventure output.      

Longlegs

Director: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Kiernan Shipka, Jason Day
Running Time: 101 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

Summoning the cinematic spirit of David Fincher circa Se7en, writer/director Oz Perkins' Longlegs is a cold, methodical descent into criminal hell that's most easily classified as horror. But for a decent portion of its run time, it isn't, unmistakably invoking psychological thrillers and nail biting procedurals like The Silence of the Lambs or Zodiac. And that doesn't even get into the ME3GAN similarities. Of course, this is of little surprise to anyone who saw Perkins' densely atmospheric 2015 film The Blackcoat's Daughter, assuming it was only a matter of time before he'd make a picture that breaks through in a major way.

This is that project, but not just for featuring one of Nicolas Cage's craziest, off-the-wall performances, even by his standards. The terrifyingly bizarre turn isn't even the top headline here, telling you all there is to know about how insane the rest must be. Aside from an abundance of clues, Perkins throws a lot at the wall, but the real shock is that it mostly sticks, as this hunt for a Satan-worshiping serial killer coldly conjures up its own form of existential dread. 

It's the 1990's and agent Lee Harker (Monroe) is still reeling from the murder of her FBI partner when she's assigned by her supervisor Carter (Blair Underwood) a string of murder-suicides in Oregon orchestrated by an occult serial killer who leaves behind Satanically coded letters signed "Longlegs." Possessing intuitive abilities that border on clairvoyance, Lee's all business, deciphers patterns and symbols in these notes that could lead to the killer.

With Lee's devoutly religious mother Ruth (Alicia Witt) frequently checking in to make sure she's saying her prayers, she soon receives a cryptic Longlegs note, as the mounds of evidence start pointing to a creepy, pale-faced man named Dale Kobble (Cage) as their prime suspect. Mentally unraveling at the thought she may have a connection to him that extends beyond the parameters of this case, traumatic pieces of Lee's childhood return haunt her. While it appears the FBI have their perpetrator, the impending threat of another murder looms unless she can somehow crack his code. 

Broken into three chapters, the film boasts a 1970's flashback opening that's impressively presented in boxy home movie style, giving us our first partial glimpses of the creepy title character. Luckily, Carter immediately recognizes what he has in Lee, frequently willing to entertain and investigate any of her leads within reason. But the problem is that while all signs point to a disturbed Kobble, evidence shows he's not physically present for the murders, begging the question of whether someone or something else is. 

Giving her most withdrawn, muted performance to date, Monroe channels Jodie Foster in Lee's battle to maintain a steely composure in the presence of pure evil. She also conveys a social awkwardness and anxiety that makes her ability to carry a meaningful conversation difficult. When talking to Carter or his young daughter, it's obvious Lee would rather be examining gruesome crime scene photos. But the tensest moments come when she's alone, gun drawn, heart racing and breathing heavily in panicked anticipation of what's next. The film isn't traditionally scary so much as profoundly unsettling, with Andrés Arochi's moody cinematography only enhancing that discomfort.

Unrecognizable behind powdered white makeup and prosthetics, Cage does goes off the deep end as androgynous killer and classic rock superfan Kobble, Everything about the performance should border on parody, but he subverts those expectations by completely freaking us out instead. Every minute he's on screen feels like the riskiest of tightrope walks, but he brilliantly pulls it off, reminding us what what happens when his quirky talents are purposefully utilized in an ideal role. Essentially the co-lead, Blair Underwood makes a more subtle impact as the skeptical but trusting FBI boss while a movie-stealing Alicia Witt will bowl you over as Lee's eccentric mother. A disturbing Kiernan Shipka also has a brief, but memorable scene as the only remaining Longlegs survivor.

There's a big info dump in the final act, and while it's always tempting to criticize those, at least the reveal doesn't disappoint, nor does its gut punch of a conclusion. It's easy to see why the film's viral marketing shrouded the plot and Cage's appearance in secrecy, as Perkins definitely knows how to pick his spots. Once all the cards are laid out, this mystery transforms into something more recognizable, but its calling card remains a cat-and-mouse game between this emotionally rattled agent and the monster haunting her.