MOVIE REVIEW – M. Night Shyamalan and Josh Hartnett: two once-bright stars who now struggle to reclaim their spots on the A-list. Shyamalan, once hailed as a master of twist-filled thrillers (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable), has seen his talent wane with each film, returning to his former glory only briefly (Split). Meanwhile, Josh Hartnett, the former star of Pearl Harbor, has gradually slipped to Hollywood’s periphery, moving from lead roles to supporting parts in often questionable films. Now, actor and director have teamed up in this darkly humorous, uniquely set (a concert) thriller about a manhunt for a serial killer filled with often ludicrous twists. Despite the absurdity, it’s a thoroughly entertaining watch.

Before diving into my review, I must clarify that due to a lack of press screenings, I caught “Trap” on its opening day thanks to a combination of a nearly expired gift card, some help from Etele Cinema staff, and the Hungarian distributor’s assistance (thank you!). The official reason for no early screenings was to prevent spoilers.

Well, since the biggest “twist” is already spoiled in the trailer, it’s clear that wasn’t the real reason. This leaves us with the suspicion that the film might be terrible, as is often the case when press screenings are skipped. This suspicion is particularly strong with Shyamalan, who has directed some mediocre (Old, Knock at the Cabin) and outright bad (Glass) films in the past decade. But let me assure you, “Trap” is not a bad film; in fact, it marks another significant comeback for Shyamalan post-Split. So, why no press screenings? I don’t know, so don’t ask! Let’s get to the review, okay?

[SPOILER] the serial killer!

We often see headlines on competing sites spoiling major plot points. In this case, Shyamalan himself “spoiled” the identity of the serial killer in the trailer. Though it’s quickly revealed at the beginning of the film (and isn’t much of a spoiler), those who haven’t seen the trailer and want to remain completely unspoiled should stop reading now…

As the trailer shows, the film opens with a charming, loving, and handsome father, Cooper (Josh Hartnett), taking his young daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to a concert. They settle in, and everything seems great. Cooper tells his daughter to stay put while he goes to the restroom. On his way, Cooper notices some strange things. There are a lot of police at the concert, setting up cameras. Something is definitely off. He asks a worker what’s going on.

The worker tells him there’s a serial killer called the Butcher, and the police received a tip-off that he would be at the concert. Everything about the concert, including its occurrence, is a setup to catch the Butcher. All exits are sealed; no one can leave.

Cooper seems genuinely surprised by this revelation. But the real shock comes when he enters the bathroom and checks his phone to see a live feed of a bound and gagged man. It turns out that Cooper, the loving father played by Josh Hartnett, is the Butcher. Now, he has to figure out how to escape this trap with his daughter.

The End of the One-Twist Era and Hartnett’s Remarkable Performance

Why isn’t it a spoiler that the trailer revealed Josh Hartnett as the Butcher? And why was it a good move by Shyamalan to do so? Firstly, because it’s no longer the late 90s, when a film like The Sixth Sense could be built around a final twist, especially in today’s social media era where such secrets are quickly spilled. Secondly, because relying solely on this twist would have been a cheap shock (then the manhunt and that’s it).

The most important reason, though, is that Shyamalan has finally realized that building a movie around a single twist is so 1999. This change allows us to truly appreciate Josh Hartnett’s outstanding performance, portraying the duality of his character with subtle irony.

One side of him is the kind, loving, humorous dad who adores his daughter and does everything to ensure she enjoys the concert. I’m sure many female viewers will find him endearing in these scenes.

The other side is the cynical, ruthless serial killer who masterfully manipulates situations – akin to a character from the Hitman video games: a wicked hidden action here, a terrible injury there, an unnoticed victim pushed from a height, all to incite panic and escape with his daughter, who knows nothing of his murderous alter ego. Occasionally, the raging beast within him surfaces when things don’t go his way. Hartnett is simply fantastic in the film, and it’s a shame he often wasted his talent on boring pretty-boy roles or later on minor supporting parts as a “washed-out” star.

“It Takes Two to Tango”

On the other side, we have director and screenwriter Shyamalan, who has finally rediscovered the fine, absurd, dark humor he lost after Split and that I missed in his previous films. The events in Trap are often so illogical, so close to nonsensical, that I frequently laughed out loud while watching, but it was an appreciative laughter because, in a way, this film is a parody. It’s a subtle parody of the serial killer film genre, where the “noose tightens” around the killer, whose unsuspecting surroundings have no idea who they’re dealing with.

And as I mentioned at the beginning of my review, the film lacks Shyamalan’s trademark all-deciding, huge twist at the end, which he compulsively added to his recent movies and which almost ruined Old. There are twists here too, but they fit perfectly into the often absurd whole of the film and match Shyamalan’s style.

I must also mention the stunning visuals, especially those connected to Lady Raven’s concert (played by Saleka Shyamalan, the director’s daughter), who excellently portrays the diva character resembling a slightly anorexic Beyoncé. Unlike Hartnett, she takes Lady Raven very seriously and is less characterized by fine humor, but this makes her a worthy opponent for the serial killer.

“These Cops Are Idiots”

Of course, Trap isn’t flawless. At times, the events feel a bit too long, and some scenes could have ended up on the cutting room floor, even though the film isn’t particularly long at 109 minutes. A few characters are unnecessarily foregrounded, such as Riley’s friend Jody’s mom (Marnie McPhail), who constantly delays Cooper at the concert and tests the audience’s patience with her endless talk about the girls’ friendship.

As for the police and FBI, they are portrayed as such bumbling fools that it’s astonishing. I understand that such films must show them as a bit dumb, but their actions here are simply comical, which unnecessarily detracts from the film’s credibility and occasionally makes the story ridiculous.

Overall, I had a great time with Trap. If you don’t take it too seriously and don’t expect another Se7en, but are open to Shyamalan’s occasionally subtly absurd humor and Josh Hartnett’s brilliantly evil performance, you’ll enjoy this film too.

– Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-