This Isn’t a Trap (2024), M. Night Shymalan Delivers Yet Another Twisted Serial Killer Thriller
Title: Trap
First Non-Festival Release: July 31, 2024 (Theatrical Release)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Runtime: 105 Minutes
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
M. Night Shyamalan is known for crafting thrills and scares while setting up a signature twist within his films. Through the years he has been celebrated, and mocked, for his calling card. With Trap, his initial straightforward approach to the concept transforms into something unexpected.
Cooper (Josh Hartnett) scores coveted tickets for the sold-out Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) concert to cheer up his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) after a falling out with her friends at school. As the pop star performs hit after hit, Cooper notices an increased police presence that puts him on edge. After confirming with a staff member, he learns that the entire concert is an elaborate operation to capture the serial killer known as The Butcher. Unknown to everyone there, persistent nice guy Cooper is the prolific killer the police are after, and he’ll stop at nothing to keep his two lives separate.
Trap is a twisty and off-beat serial killer thriller that delights with memorable characters and ample tension.
The idea of ensaring a serial killer at a concert seems far-fetched as a feature length film, but Trap manages to maintain tension while keeping the audience guessing Cooper’s next move. Since the audience knows who the villain is from the beginning, Trap has to build suspense in other ways. The thrills don’t come from Cooper’s reign of terror, which could easily comprise another film, but from his would-be interactions with the concert goers. Causing chaos and selectively damaging those around him like a wounded animal fighting to stay alive, Cooper works his way around every blockade put in front of him. Then, once you think there’s no way Trap can go any further, it does.
Of course, as with many Shyamalan films, the odd plot conveniences and quirky dialogue can take viewers out of the moment of otherwise solid thrills. While it’s a part of Cooper’s modus operandi to weasel his way out of any given situation, the number of times where he evades capture through dumb luck is frustrating. Cooper may think on his feet, but he benefits from too many people giving him the benefit of the doubt when they realistically shouldn’t. This may be some light commentary on the allowances men like Cooper get in life, but it feels more like a plot contrivance than anything. The on-the-nose dialogue and odd ways in which his characters speak continue to haunt Shyamalan’s work.
Josh Hartnett steals the show as the delightfully sinister Cooper. Fascinating in both his backstory and thought processes, Cooper comes to life onscreen thanks to Hartnett’s performance. Each interaction with the various people around him showcases another element of Cooper. Performing around the naive, staying one step ahead of investigators, lying like its second-nature, Cooper is a complicated and terrifying amalgamation of his obsessive-compulsive tendencies demanding perfection and his sociopathic approach to life in not caring who or what is in the way of his goals. Hartnett does all of this with a dead-eyed smile and faux empathic voice. While his intentions are never hidden from the audience, his performance is so good that there are moments when you’d be convinced of his shenanigans too.
The soundtrack, while never the main character, offers plenty of exciting and heartfelt moments as Lady Raven sings along to the perils of the film. Opining about the dangers of love and life, Lady Raven’s performance is more than just a spectacle to distract a serial killer. The soundtrack reflects this. Melting into the thriller like butter, the songs are soft in impact while lacing important themes throughout the film. Touching moments of father-daughter relationships juxtapose more salient songs about escaping a death trap. Still, Lady Raven is a pop star, and her performance demands more than hashing away at the film’s themes. “Dreamer Girl” is an easy moment to point to that pushes along the plot while serving as a wholly standalone moment for the music to shine. Never overshadowing or overstaying, Saleka Shamalyan’s work on the film’s soundtrack is a testament to her creativity and talent far more than her acting abilities are.
Not his best effort but far from his worse, Shyamalan’s Trap is a solid high concept serial killer thriller that hits all the right notes. An astounding leading performance from Hartnett and undeniable tension make Trap a solid horror thriller that can easily serve as a gateway into the genre for younger audiences up for the challenge. Shyamalan’s style may rub viewers the wrong way, but his earnest approach to storytelling is enough to warrant a watch. There’s no trap set here, book your tickets for the next Lady Raven concert before you get a severe case of FOMO.
Overall Score? 7/10
