TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Alison Pill
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
ADRIANO
I allowed myself to get sucked into Trap... mostly. For the first 40 minutes, I was gripping my seat and feeling all the nerves I was witnessing on screen in this cat-and-mouse game, not to mention my favourite performance from Josh Hartnett. I was truly having such a blast that I was fine giving M. Night Shyamalan's typical shortcomings (awkward dialogue, annoying plot threads) a pass. However, as the film kept going, I was less forgiving. It's not awful, but it wears itself thin in the back half as it refuses to end, leaving me to have less fun.
QUENTIN
M. Night Shyamalan might be the most inconsistent writer-director in Hollywood, and while Trap isn’t as bad as some of his other offerings, it’s still very meh. Despite a premise that has extreme tension inherently baked in, the first hour is pretty lethargic. It’s a cat-and-mouse game with no real cat, meaning it never feels like Cooper (Josh Hartnett giving a not great performance) is at risk. It’s completely lacking suspense until the halfway mark, but even then, that suspense only lasts for about 30 minutes before ultimately fizzling out as the movie just keeps going with ending after ending. I really expected more from this.
AMARÚ
Director M. Night Shyamalan is playing in the cheesiest of sandboxes with Trap, and I ate up almost every second of it. Led by an all-knowingly chewy Josh Hartnett performance, the dramatic close-ups, melodramatic dialogue, and mysterious conveniences made for an outstanding experience if not a wholly believable completed product. My heart and mind were racing as each plausible and improbable happening unfolded, and though the ending doesn’t clear up every questionable plot point, the journey was well worth what we got. Also, gotta tip my hat for M. Night simultaneously making this a showcase for his daughter Saleka’s music career. Exquisite nepotism.
PAIGE
Up until its third act, Trap is an amusing and cunning game of cat-and-mouse, and while it might be the most fun I have had watching an M. Night Shyamalan film, it’s surprisingly straightforward, clearly lacking M. Night’s trademark twist. The movie has an intriguing premise, crispy soundtrack, and a great performance by Josh Hartnett as a convincing psychopath, but the storyline and dialogue were, at times, cringy and stilted. Overall, in terms of M. Night's filmography, this one is positioned in the middle of the pack.
NICK
Going into Trap, there were a lot of positive signs: director M. Night Shyamalan is on a good streak, Josh Hartnett is having a career resurgence, and the concept's potential was clear. Unfortunately, that concept is wasted in a poorly executed film. Tonally, this thing is a mess. It features moments of both intentional and unintentional campiness, yet only the latter provided my audience with laughter. While Hartnett is good, the dialogue he and the rest of the cast have to work with is among M. Night’s worst. I’m sad to say the streak is over because Trap is a complete misfire.
SHADAN
Bless Josh Hartnett, because his presence is a big reason, maybe the only reason, Trap works as well as it does. I laughed a lot. Was I supposed to? I’m not entirely sure. Despite a trailer that gives away more than I was expecting, there are a good number of surprises left in store. Yes, there are better thrillers out there — better M. Night Shyamalan offerings, even — but I can’t deny watching Hartnett balance the doting dad and maniacal killer personas proved to be a very entertaining time at the movies.
MORE REVIEWS TO COME!