by Rosa Parra
“Trap” was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It follows Cooper (Josh Hartnett) and his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), attending the concert of Lady Raven (Saleka). The concert is held to create a trap to capture a serial killer known as The Butcher.
No stellar acting from Harnett is enough to save this film.
The film starts strong as it immediately begins with Cooper driving Riley to the concert. The trailer gives it away, but we’re given a direct hint as to who the serial killer is, and maybe that diminished any potential impact the story could have had. As the movie progresses, the third act becomes redundant, and no stellar acting from Harnett is enough to save this film. Ultimately, the script isn’t strong enough to keep my investment in the outcome of this story. It was an unfortunate disappointment.
Shyamalan’s daughter has an important role that could have been more memorable if her performance had been more profound. Her musical skills are on full display, and learning that she wrote those songs is impressive. What I did enjoy about this film was the musical numbers. I wouldn’t mind listening to that soundtrack.
The mystery and suspense are present in the first act but they thin out during the second act and completely disappear in the third. Some circumstances were too convenient that the stakes didn’t feel as high. The eye-rolling-inducing dialogue is what ultimately prevents this movie from being a success. Some serious scenes are simply too comical and diminish the suspense of the film as a whole. The third act felt too long and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. There were too many twists that were also meaningless, which further disappointed my experience.
Some serious scenes are simply too comical and diminish the suspense of the film as a whole.
It’s disheartening to see Shyamalan, a master of the mystery-suspense genre, deliver a film that falls short of his potential. We all know what he’s capable of producing, so it’s more frustrating to witness a movie with such an intriguing premise simply be a thin, soulless and forgettable movie. The disappointment is palpable.
Overall, “Trap” fails to deliver a suspenseful or engaging narrative. Not even a substantial leading performance or catchy musical numbers were enough to rescue this film.
2/5