M. Night Shyamalan has been riding a wave of success as of late, which comes as a bit of a surprise given how maligned he had become in the wake of critical failures such as Lady in the Water, The Happening, and The Last Airbender. Starting with 2015’s The Visit, his films began to garner more favorable reviews and solid box office numbers, and he has been able to maintain this hot streak ever since. However, some still see Shyamalan as “the twist guy” or continue to have a negative association with him due to his weaker films. As a defender of Shyamalan’s work, I find it sad that people still reduce him to either of these identifiers, as he has proven himself to be more than this with his past few films. I can understand some criticisms of his work, but Shyamalan has really found his groove lately, and I’ve really enjoyed most of his recent work. This momentum is just one of the many reasons I’ve been excited to see his latest film, Trap. This, along with its interesting premise, Josh Hartnett in the leading role, and the numerous fun facts about the film that Shyamalan has been sharing on social media made this one of my most anticipated films of the year, and I was eager to see if Shyamalan would continue his great track record. While there are minor issues throughout, Trap is highly entertaining, boasting some impressive direction, great suspense, and a stunning performance from Josh Hartnett.
Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett) and his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue) are attending a concert for pop superstar Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan). Riley is a massive fan of hers, and Cooper is just along for the ride and is excited to spend some quality time with his kid. As they arrive, Cooper notices that there is a large police presence there, and he begins to question why this is. He later finds out that the FBI has intel that a serial killer known as “The Butcher” is in attendance, and they are planning to capture him. As the concert goes on, Cooper becomes more and more anxious, all while the FBI gets closer and closer to finding The Butcher.
One of the things I appreciate the most about M. Night Shyamalan is that he is fully aware of who he is as a filmmaker and always makes the films that he wants to make. Every one of his films has his unmistakable style, and I feel that he has only refined this over the past decade of his career. He always manages to keep things interesting, even if the choices he makes don’t always work. This is certainly present in Trap, as this is unmistakably a Shyamalan film, albeit a more straightforward one than one would expect. Shyamalan’s recent films have actually embraced a more direct line of storytelling than people give him credit for, with smaller twists and turns along the way as opposed to the mindblowing ones that made him a household name. Trap certainly falls into this category, as it has plenty of suspense and makes you question where everything is going to end up, but has a more streamlined way of unspooling things. This has become a tried and true methodology for Shyamalan, and it feels that his last few films have become progressively more straightforward as a result.
This approach works quite well for Trap, as it becomes more about the suspense of the situation at the film’s core, and creates a palpable tension that doesn’t let up throughout. The film wastes no time getting started, as it begins with Cooper and Riley arriving at the concert and quickly gets right into the main premise. There is a strong momentum that is held during the entire film, which helped keep me invested from the jump. It moves quickly, but still makes sure the viewer is getting everything they need to know. It is rather effective storytelling, even if it isn’t quite what most people will be expecting from a Shyamalan film. There is a simplicity to how he approaches everything from a writing standpoint that makes it work well, even if there are some questionable choices made along the way. But even with some nitpicks regarding some of the logistics of how the plot moves along, I didn’t mind some of the issues the film’s script has. This is mainly because Shyamalan so firmly and decisively establishes the specific world of the film as both writer and director that it makes some of the sillier moments and ideas somehow work for the most part.
Where the film really shines is in its direction, as Shyamalan continues to set parameters for himself that end up yielding interesting results. Trap takes place in a giant arena for the majority of the film, and Shyamalan uses this location to his full advantage, capturing the vast, yet confined feeling that one might feel at a huge concert like the one featured in the film. On top of this, Shyamalan employs a fascinating device in regards to the musical portion of the concert by not letting the camera get closer to the music than where the characters are at any given time. This helps keep the music from overshadowing everything else, while still standing out in the film as a whole. Beyond that, the suspense of the film is so strongly felt every step of the way, as the viewer can’t help but wonder what Cooper’s next move will be, and where Shyamalan is ultimately taking us with this.
The answer to that last query is quite surprising, as the film’s third act takes us to unexpected places. The film functions largely as a tense thriller, but then digs into themes of fatherhood and being a good parent before getting surprisingly sentimental. Shyamalan tends to bring a certain level of earnestness to his work, but he mostly holds off on this until the last section of the film. When the film pivoted to this, it caught me off-guard, and it wasn’t working for me at first. Once I realized what Shyamalan was doing, and how it ties to his own fears of being a good father and maintaining a balance between life and work, it began to click for me. It still feels strange in execution, and I’d argue that the first two acts are stronger, but it does allow the film to end on a fascinating note that gives everything we’ve seen before some interesting dimension.
One of the biggest highlights of the film is Josh Hartnett’s lead performance, which easily ranks amongst the best of his career. Hartnett has been on a bit of a comeback streak with supporting roles in a pair of Guy Ritchie movies and of course, Oppenheimer, but this is his first major leading role in quite some time. He is absolutely terrific in this film, and is so fascinating to watch. He nails the scenes where he is simply a father, but it is the other facets of his character that I was most intrigued by. Some moments feel like he is channeling Patrick Bateman, giving an air of mistrust towards him, and leading to doubts about who Cooper really is. There are different sides of his character that come out throughout the film, and Hartnett pulls off these shifts incredibly well. He really impressed me every step of the way, and he is a strong contender for one of my favorite performances of the year.
Hartnett is the primary focus of the entire film, but there are some key supporting players that make an impression. Ariel Donoghue is quite good as Cooper’s daughter, Riley, and feels so genuine throughout. She feels like a regular teenage girl, and she plays off of Hartnett so well. Saleka Shyamalan really shines in the final act, as her character has much more to do in that section. As M. Night’s daughter, it might be easy to write off her involvement as an act of nepotism, but she feels like an honest-to-God popstar in this film. She feels somewhere between Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa, and the film does a good job of making it believable that she would be a major superstar. The songs that she sings during the concert scenes are perfectly okay, but she truly sells the whole persona. Alison Pill really surprised me, as she plays against type quite well here. She is playing more of a typical suburban mom, but there is an almost manic energy that underlies the performance that I really liked. There is a scene near the end of the film between her and Hartnett that really got to me, thanks in large part to her performance. I was disappointed that Hayley Mills didn’t have more to do in this film, as she is a great actress, but is woefully underutilized in this film. I was waiting for her to have a big moment, but it never comes, leaving me wondering why the film even cast her to begin with. I will say, however, that I really enjoyed Jonathan Langdon’s performance as Jamie, a vendor at the arena. He is only in a few scenes, but his energy is so infectious, and provides some of the film’s comic relief as well. He isn’t a major character in the film, but he is quite memorable, and makes the most of what he’s given.
Trap might not be what most audiences are expecting, but as a Shyamalan apologist, I absolutely enjoyed it. Sure, there is some silliness to it, but that is all part of its charm for me. Shyamalan is so assured in his vision for the film that it helps some of the stranger choices he makes come across far better than they should. He showcases his gift for suspense so beautifully, slowly revealing deeper themes of parenthood along the way, making this a surprisingly personal film for him. There is a certain level of accessibility to the film that has me thinking it could change the minds of Shyamalan skeptics, but I can also see them feeling vindicated due to some of the film’s idiosyncrasies. Either way, I thoroughly had a great time with this film, and feel it continues to prove that Shyamalan is one of our most fascinating genre filmmakers working today.
Comments