Trap (2024): A Masterpiece with a Twist — Just Not One We Wanted

Ah, M. Night Shyamalan. A director whose very name sends shivers down our spines (sometimes with horror, sometimes with suspense, occasionally with laughter). Ever since he gave us The Sixth Sense, I’ve been hooked. So naturally, I went into Trap, his 2024 masterpiece, expecting nothing less than The Last Airbender-level brilliance. And I was not disappointed. Well, I was, but only in ways that Shyamalan himself might call “intentional choices.”

Trap opens on Cooper (Josh Hartnett, whose claim to fame remains 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later) and his daughter. Her name? Honestly, it’s anyone’s guess. The two are enroute to a Lady Raven concert, setting up for what I assumed would be an ominous buildup. Instead, we’re treated to a strangely serene father-daughter car ride with a soundtrack made entirely by Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka. Not one to miss an opportunity, Shyamalan clearly thought, “Why not let my daughter’s music fill every scene? The Shyamalan Dynasty shall last 1,000 years!”

Of course, in true Shyamalan style, the movie is set in Philadelphia. Because, as we all know, setting his films anywhere else would be as bizarre as … well, trying to make The Last Airbender work in under two hours.

Cooper, it turns out, is not just your average dad. No, he’s “The Butcher,” a serial killer with a knack for doing things you’d expect any amateur to mess up, yet somehow it all goes off without a hitch. Through meticulous planning (or just pure luck), he gets himself into and out of multiple scrapes with the police thanks to the fact that everyone at this concert center is more than happy to spill every classified FBI briefing they’ve just received. Need to know how the police will allow Lady Raven to leave the concert without an inspection? Don’t worry; security is practically shouting it over the PA system.

Shyamalan graces us with his own cameo as Lady Raven’s uncle, whom Cooper dupes to achieve his getaway plan. But the real twist? There isn’t one. Well, at least not the one we were hoping for. Shyamalan spills the beans on Cooper’s bloodthirsty alter ego within the first 20 minutes, leaving us scratching our heads, waiting for the real twist to arrive. But in classic The Village fashion, we just keep waiting.

After an endless cycle of chase scenes, poorly planned kidnapping attempts, and more run-ins with the police than Cooper cares to count, the finale does finally roll around. And let’s just say, it leaves room for Trap 2: Trapped Again?

So, do I recommend Trap? Sure, if you’ve got an HBO subscription and a free Saturday night, give it a shot. Or, like me, keep a bowl of popcorn ready for when The Butcher inevitably becomes a part of the Shyamalan Cinematic Universe, joining forces with Mr. Glass and the multiple-personality guy, pursued endlessly by Bruce Willis’ ghost.