Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan is on a comeback like no other. After hitting rock bottom with films like The Happening and his live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Shyamalan has steadily delivered crowd-pleasing thrillers and evolved his trademark twists. His latest original offering, Trap, continues his hot streak through effective thrills that come from a determined and oddly charming killer.
Trap takes viewers into a jam-packed concert of pop-star Lady Raven (Salek Shyamalan) – where Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is taking his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue). Upon arriving though, Cooper notices a large police presence and people being taken out of the crowd. Eventually, he learns that the concert is actually a trap set by the police for a deranged killer. However, we quickly find out that Cooper is the one the police are looking for. So, now he must evade the police without arousing suspicion from anyone – especially Riley.
The first and second half of Trap are as distinctly different as Cooper’s two persisting personas. Initially, the film props itself up as a fairly standard cat and mouse thriller. Howevr, Cooper is one elusive mouse and watching the cogs in his brain work overtime to find a way out of this sticky situation is amazing. The early moments of Trap, despite not having the intensity most would expect, are pure fun simply because you’re seeing this un-assumed evil run amok. The thrills tend to come from Cooper hurting or manipulating someone else to get closer to escaping. Yet, not every exit stays open for long and he has to adapt in surprising and inventive ways. There’s a bit of an espionage feel to Cooper’s actions and you’re on edge wondering how long he can keep up this charade. There are even strings of comedy felt throughout because of how dumbfounding the things Cooper gets away with are. Shyamalan crafts an opening half full of fun dramatic irony and it’s where audiences will be sucked into the experience.
Even better, Hartnett is at the center of it all giving a career-best performance. He’s the perfect wolf in sheep’s clothing and his likability is his deadliest weapon. Cooper is the goofy dad that’s hard not to like as he tries to get in tune with modern lingo and is incredibly supportive of Riley. He can easily make you forget that he’s a killer at all. Yet, there’s this evil within we all know exists and often comes out to knock you back to reality. It’s a stunning, chameleon-like performance we haven’t seen from Hartnett and it continues his own career resurgence fantastically.
When the film’s shifts into its second half though, Shyamalan cranks up the tension dramatically. Eventually, Cooper runs out of options and fully shows his hand to an unexpected person. Thus, a rivalry brews and drives the film towards its final stretch that rarely lets off the brake. Cooper’s dual lives crash together in an ugly way and there’s nothing more thrilling than watching him scramble. It’s terrifying to see him become this unhinged monster while still trying to maintain his father persona to his family. It’s like you’re watching an identity crisis unfold before your very eyes and the tonal shift feels similar to Split when The Beast is unleashed.
Now, while the thrills are elevated, there are glaring issues that present themselves. There’s too much over-explaining when it comes to details surrounding Cooper’s demise. Also, it feels like the film never wants to find an ending and needlessly drags through new ways Cooper avoids capture. Ironically though, the need Shyamalan has to delve into everything that’s led up to this point actually leads to one of his simpler twists.
Trap doesn’t feature the kind of “shoot for the moon” twist that Shyamalan has lived and died by in his career. Instead, it’s more organic to the story and creates a satisfying layer of Cooper coming to realize who’s been aware of him all along. Still, in between all the good of Shyamalan’s narrative are these terrible leaps in logic that are dreadfully distracting. Cooper is shown to be savvy and inventive, but there are escapes he has in the final stretch that are downright impossible.
However, despite its flaws, Trap excels in its back half. Harnett’s performance becomes much more complex now that his killer side is basically free. You feel all the psychological elements of Cooper’s evil at play and Hartnett’s line delivery in these reflective monologues is excellent. This double life Cooper’s been leading is no more and you feel all the weight of that crashing down through Hartnett’s performance – and it’s heavy. Also, Salek’s performance shines – both in the singing and dramatic moments. Her concert bits generally help set the tone and it’s interesting to see Lady Raven evolve into an unlikely hero. She’s surprisingly capable – despite making a couple questionable choices – and turns the table on Cooper in fun ways. Plus, Shyamalan’s storytelling is on point – slow-dripping backstory elements to Cooper’s psychosis and hidden layers of the narrative to satisfying ends.
Trap keeps the Shyamalan renaissance alive and gives this summer an original crowd-pleaser in a sea of established franchises. If its intriguing premise, slow-cooking tension, and unexpected charm aren’t enough to reel you in, Hartnett’s must-watch performance certainly will.
