Horror Movie Blog > Horror Movie Reviews > Trap (2024) Movie Review
Cooper, (Josh Hartnett) has taken his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert to see Lady Raven, her favorite artist as a reward for her good grades without knowing that the concert is one big trap to catch a serial killer named The Butcher.
Mild Spoilers
I will admit, I am not a massive fan of M. Night Shyamalan, I will always watch his movies because you never know with him, but for the most part, I always end up somewhat disappointed.
Trap was a movie I was looking forward to watching after seeing the trailers, and while the trailer reveals who the serial killer is, it had me thinking we must be in store for another big twist too, this is M. Night Shyamalan after all, plus I quite like Josh Hartnett who plays Cooper, the serial killer.
M.Knights daughter also has a role in the movie, Saleka Shyamalan who plays the singer Lady Raven, and she wrote all the material as well for the film. Maybe he created this whole film just to showcase her talents?
Josh Hartnett puts in a good performance, and his mix of charm and a hint of danger makes him feel like someone you could easily come across in person, but the movie has flaws.
So the big twist in the movie, is that there really isn't one. We know going in (If you have watched the trailer), as mentioned above, who the serial killer is from the start as it has already been revealed. Was that a good idea? I don't think it really mattered much personally, and doesn't take much away from the film. Others will disagree, I am sure.
At the start you see Cooper come across like your average father as he tries to keep up with his 13 year old daughter, Riley, and her interests as any loving father does, but when he notices a heavy police presence at the concert, he starts to get very nervous.
After speaking to a T-shirt vendor named Jamie (Jonathan Langdon), it is revealed to him that the concert is actually a trap and after hearing this news, you see him quickly checking on one of his victims on his phone, who he has trapped in a basement.
Cooper not only has to face a bunch of FBI agents but also a profiler who can predict his moves.
Can Cooper get out of this one?
The first half is pretty decent, Shyamalan sets the atmosphere pretty well as you watch Cooper as he tries to find solutions while keeping his daughter happy, and at points, you are rooting for him too despite knowing what he is, is that weird?
The film does lose its way after the first half, and in particular the final act when the story shifts away from Cooper’s perspective and as we learn more about Cooper’s psyche, he becomes much less menacing, and the psychological explanations don't really work and some of his decisions are questionable.
It all becomes a a bit lost and chaotic, and it does feel like the end is near for the film at times but it carries on and on and in the end, it and ends up dragging.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s hard not to get frustrated with the film the more it goes on. Shyamalan seems okay with letting the unrealistic happen and leaving gaping plot holes and wants you as the viewer to be alright with that as well.
Trap is a far from a perfect movie, and I am still debating whether it was actually good as a movie, but what I do know is, I still enjoyed it.
Yes, this movie is a bit of a mess, but it’s a dumb entertaining mess, that despite the flaws, still kept my attention.
Check out some other 2024 horror reviews while you are here!
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