McDaniel
“Trap” is the type of thriller that keeps your attention and makes you want to see what’s going to happen next, even though you’re rolling their eyes thinking about how stupid it all is.
Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan has made a career out of plot twists. Even when he misses and produces a dud, I usually find enjoyment in it, because it’s at least original.
“Trap” is missing that creative twist.
The story is as straight forward as you’ll get for something attached to the Shyamalan name: a huge pop concert is surrounded by police who have reason to believe that a deranged killer known as the Butcher is in attendance.
It doesn’t get more complex than that. With characters that spell out everything in oversharing dialogue, the plot is so oversimplified that very few things about it are believable. Because it’s so simple, it really stands out when so many scenes are filled with characters doing things that don’t make sense.
No spoilers here, but a whole lot of trauma could’ve been avoided if anyone had a lick of common sense. I can ignore a couple unreasonable actions and go along with the thrill of the chase. But I can only think “Why do that?” so many times before the tension of the story is surpassed by my own frustration.
Josh Hartnett gives a memorable performance as the psycho Butcher — coming across as a caring dad who was just trying to take his daughter to the concert of her dreams, before finding himself anxiously searching for an escape from the arena law enforcement. When those Hitchcockian camera angles hit, we see how dead his eyes can be, with slight facial tics and a creepy smile.
Unfortunately, Hartnett isn’t enough to save the sloppy writing and otherwise poor acting.
Kudos to Shyamalan for being successful enough in his career to cast whoever he wants — in this case, his real-life daughter Saleka in her first on-camera role. She plays pop star Lady Raven, in addition to composing the music for the film.
She is a talented artist, having previously composed music for her father’s other projects, but she’s thrown in the deep end for her acting debut. I felt bad for her. Some of her lines were met with snickers from those in my theater — not because they were funny, but because the acting was banal.
In “Trap,” what you see is what you get, and what you get is irrational and unsatisfying.
The film aims for suspense, but it ensnares itself in mediocrity, leaving audiences wishing they had found their way out sooner.
2.5/5
Scott McDaniel is an assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College. He lives in Bargersville with his wife and three kids.
