“Trap” (2024) Review
Written by Victor DeBonis
M. Night Shyamalan is one of my favorite filmmakers. Whatever you may think of his work in regards to whether it’s good or bad, I love him for the same reason I consider the Wachowskis two of my other favorite people making movies: He makes movies from sheer passion and from ideas that are taking big, original swings and that are usually not based on IP.
Some people, particularly those from the online sector, complain all the time about there not being more original movies out there. They complain about there being only many superhero movies or remakes or sequels based on movies that didn’t have any follow-ups for decades until recently.
While they aren’t necessarily wrong and while I won’t disagree with the sentiment that certain brands and studios get more attention and output than artists with more innovative ideas in many cases, my answer also involves this thought: If you’re seeking more movies that take greater risks, go to the theater (if possible) or buy a physical copy of a movie or show that is doing good things on an original premise.
“Trap” is yet another example of why M. Night is one of the signature artists to look for in committing to his vision and stories not based on a specific property and leaves one really good time as a result.
M. Night has some wicked fun with his camera as expected. He will often place the camera in the point of view of the character (usually, Josh Hartnett’s as the father hiding being a legitimate serial killer taking his daughter to a highly anticipated concert) and sending the camera to pan over to see what his daughter is doing or visually absorb the electric activity surrounding him. Sometimes, he cuts back and forth between him and another character he bumps into or is cleverly prying for information, and this is brilliant camerawork and editing because it enhances the uncertainty of what is going to happen with this encounter with him.
Barriers for Hartnett only increase as the concert progresses, and M. Night is terrific at filming close to Hartnett’s shoulders and following along his side at the appropriate distance to capture this stealthy sociopath on the prowl and who is rapidly trying to determine what his best exit from the authorities is. The director keeps as close as possible to this unpredictable killer, and he leaves me on the edge of my seat as I anticipate what he might do or say if he is pushed enough to a dangerous point with this person or scenario.
The director-screenwriter also harnesses the electric enthusiasm and anticipation that one anticipates from a concert. At the time of this writing, I have experienced attending an amazing rock concert on my own (It was Alanis Morisette to those wondering, and she and the concert itself was wonderful), and, not long after this happened, I took some time and realized that I’d probably been to over 10 concerts. So, it was terrific to see much of the same energy and actions that one would anticipate at one of these shows replicated in this movie.
Fans sing aloud to the lyrics of the music star at hand and dance to the rhythm in mind. They raise their phones when asked to capture light in an emotional moment mentioned by the star at hand. When songs are sung on that stage, audience members sway back and forth to the beat and holler with believable excitement as another familiar hit starts to play. M. Night superbly captures the joy and thrill of a concert taking place, and being in a big theater to take in the massive feel of this concert within this movie was a treat in itself and resulted in one of my favorite theatrical experiences of this year.
Speaking of music, one of M. Night’s daughters, Saleka Shymalan, plays the music star of the film herself known as Lady Raven. As a singer on the stage, she expresses a visible charisma in front of the audience, and she channels believable admiration for the fans in front of her. Her acting moments are just as terrific in which she conveys the necessary power and humanity when the scene calls for it. Saleka is a true talent, and I look forward to seeing what she does in either film or music.
Naturally, I can’t finish my insights about this film without mentioning Hartnett’s huge contribution to its success. He marvelously slips into the shoes of whatever persona he is trying to emulate, and there is a rarely a moment in which he isn’t convincing. There’s no doubt that Harnett loves his daughter, based on his scenes when he goofily jokes with her to show his glee for her getting to see a favorite musician of hers or when he protectively keeps her close as they’re finding their way through a tight crowd.
He is also a master of deception as he fakes being a terrified employee or a concert patron who strikes the exact charm needed to blend in with off-limit areas and cleverly finds methods to try to keep several steps ahead of the people seeking to take him down. His eyebrows wince just quickly enough to be overlooked by normal people, but the forced grit of his teeth and the close shot of his expression provides a glimpse into the savage madness roaring within that steadily reveals itself as the plot navigates toward its conclusion. His performance was reminiscent to me of James McAvoy in “Split” in the sense of a gifted actor craftily taking on one persona after another as an unsettled character and nailing each role with part of the credit going to a director as superb as M. Night who helps lead the way.
Hartnett is magnificent to witness in every scene, and my laughter and sheer shock came partly from Night’s direction and partly from the unflinching command and persuasion at the hands of Josh’s presence. Between this and his terrific work in last year’s “Oppenheimer” I am delighted to see him returning to the big screen and showcasing his acting talent on there again.
The characters with whom Hartnett interacts are also a treat and contribute to the playful thrill of this movie. Something M. Night deserves more credit for, even in some of his lesser films, is his ability to guide actors towards developing their own dose of personality and energy to a scenario and adding to the entertainment with a rich sense of character. This talent is shown again in “Trap” and it adds to the energy and suspense. We dread what might possibly happen with every soul who comes into contact with the killer of the movie because we admire the humor and purpose brimming from the performances of these side characters.
What also helps are moments in which specific characters are addressing hurt done to them from earlier points before this story began, and it leads to a fair amount of interest in seeing what will happen with them. The movie doesn’t necessarily dive into this backstories in great depth, but, similar to Anya Taylor-Joy’s character in “Split” just enough from the writing and performance leads one to hope for the best outcome for aforementioned characters through their flaws and all.
The concert lover kicked into gear at certain points to critique certain parts of the event that didn’t always add up. Some employees who interact with Hartnett make choices that, if done in a real concert, would either lead to someone higher up taking a closer look at or getting canned. Additionally, the last third of the movie, while still intriguing and fairly intense, can sometimes meander a little when the movie’s conclusion is undeniably close, but the events keep adding something to keep things continuing , thus resulting in an occasionally inconsistent pace.
All in all, though, “Trap” is the type of theatrical experience that left me grinning and placing my hand across my mouth in fright at almost all of the right places. I saw it with a great friend, and it was fun to talk about and engage with the audience that was getting into the fun and horror, too, with beats rarely missing.
Between this and “Knock at the Cabin” M. Night is happily reminding me why, between this and other earlier works, he is someone who adds a ton of fun and terrific filmmaking spirit to the conversation of horror on the screen.
I think that, ever since I first saw “The Sixth Sense” in my younger days, my interest in horror and thrillers only increased from there.
When I saw “Unbreakable” I discovered a deeper interest in superhero films and what they could be before the MCU officially came into being.
And, “Split” and “Knock at the Cabin” were later reminders in Night’s career of the tension that he was capable of demonstrating and the ferocity and humanity contained within his abilities as a storyteller.
“Trap” only adds to the list of movies from this director-screenwriter I will often hold up as to why he’s so fun to witness, thanks to its suspense, humor, and great craftsmanship of what unfolds.
No one else makes movies like M. Night, and the moviegoing public benefits all the more from it.
Grade: A-