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.