When doting father Josh Hartnett takes his daughter to see her favourite pop star Lady Raven in concert, he has no idea that the event is being used to bait a notorious serial killer known as the butcher.
Director M.Night Shyamalan reportedly pitched the premise for Trap to Warner Bros. as ‘Silence of the Lambs at a Taylor Swift concert’ and that is a pretty accurate description.
Fans of the directors trademark twist, don’t have to wait very long as it’s revealed in the first 10 minutes (and also in the films trailer) that Hartnett’s Cooper Adams has a secret double life and is the butcher the feds are tracking.
This makes for an enthralling set-up as the calculated predator tries to maintain his composure and find a way around the police blockade, all while his daughter Riley enjoys the concert of a lifetime.
The casting of Hartnett in the lead role is a master stroke as the actor, enjoying a renaissance after his appearance in last years Oscar winning Oppenheimer, is totally believable as both the model father and the unhinged serial killer, selling both sides of the character to perfection with loving glances which morph into maniacal grimaces.
Ariel Donoghue is also perfectly cast as Riley and she totally nails the over excited vibe of a teenage fan. Her performance is a blur of nervous elation at first, before her night of dreams descends into the stuff of nightmares.
The film is at its best during the concert (which bizarrely takes place in daytime) as the director creates a tangible claustrophobia and cleverly tempts the audience to root for Hartnett’s anti-hero the Butcher.
However, it never manages to settle into a consistent tone. Whether Shyamalan is aiming for tongue in cheek or something more serious, is never completely clear, and when events spill out of the concert venue, the movie begins to fall apart. Credulity is stretched to breaking point, as improbable plot developments pile up upon each other.
With his own daughter Saleka already an accomplished singer / songwriter, Shyamlan proudly uses his film to showcase her talents by casting her as Lady Raven, but relying on her acting so much in the films final act proves to be an unwise decision that only adds to its downfall.
78-year-old Hayley mills, star of 1961’s The Parent Trap, pops up randomly as the FBI profiler tasked with bringing in the Butcher, but unfortunately her role is reduced to delivering unnecessary exposition instead of really going head-to-head with Hartnett.
As a filmmaker Shyamalan continues to be divisive, but whatever you think of his films, he can never be accused of playing it safe.
After such a good set-up, Trap’s third act decline is frustrating as it fails fulfil the potential of such an excellent premise.
There is a good film in there somewhere trying to get out and if you’re willing to suspend your disbelief, there is still enjoyment to be had despite the obvious flaws.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward
x @grittster
1/09/24