Introduction
Trap is a new kind of thriller in which the writer and director M. Night Shyamalan, famous for his movies like The Sixth Sense and Split, will for sure try to leave an impression by telling a very intriguing and mysterious story. And here the brief plot is – a father and his teenage daughter go to a pop concert when ‘they inexplicably become part of a collation of linked people involved in a grim convention’. Directed by Shawn Chunn and scripted by Ray Wright and Chunn, Trap stars all the famous actors like Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, and Hayley Mills will make Trap great fun, a new level of cinematic experience everyone should try.
Release Date
The trap is planned to be released in theatres on 2 August 2024, one week ahead of the initial planned release date. The films that will be completed for the audiences are the horror thriller Cuckoo starring Hunter Schafer and the family film Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Crew:
| Role | Person(s) |
|---|---|
| Director | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Screenplay | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Writer | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Producer | Ashwin Rajan Marc Bienstock M. Night Shyamalan |
| Editor | Noëmi Preiswerk |
| Music Director | Herdís Stefánsdóttir |
Cast:
| Actor/Actress | Character Name |
|---|---|
| Josh Hartnett | Cooper |
| Saleka | Lady Raven |
| Ariel Donoghue | Riley |
| Alison Pill | Rachel |
| Kid Cudi | Lady Raven |
| Hayley Mills | Dr. Josephine Grant |
| Vanessa Smythe | Tour Manager |
| Russ | Parker Wayne |
| Jonathan Langdon | Vendor |
| Karina Grzella | Dancer #2 |
| Marnie McPhail | Jody’s Mom |
| Mark Bacolcol | Spencer |
| Kristopher Grzella | Dancer #1 |
| Kristi Woods | FBI Agent |
| Lochlan Miller | Logan |
| Joseph Daly | Driver |
Story
Trap concerns itself with a father, Cooper Hartnett, and his adolescent daughter Riley Donoghue who to a concert in which the lady raven Saleka Shyamalan performs. Once fans are seated, Riley realizes that there are many policemen in the hall and hears from a man who attends the concert that this is a mass for The Butcher, a maniac whom the police are going to catch.
Of course, Cooper and Riley end up in the middle of the evil plan, with no known how they would get out of the concert building alive. That is the premise that the film explores, Cooper has to survive and look out for his daughter while wrestling with his sins. This work raises concerns and expectations by setting a powerful climax that will put to the test their love and argue over the ethics of law enforcers.
Review
Trap has been positively and negatively reviewed by critics word which have applauded the performances, the movie’s marker and A Shyamalan’s storytelling while on the other side, some critics have complained of pace and a predictable plot.
Plus Points
- Strong Performances: The film has Josh Hartnett and he does justice to the role of Cooper, remembering his capacity to create the graphics of a tormented psychological monk. First-time comedian Saleka Shyamalan does a good job as Lady Raven, while the movie’s musical aspect receives a slight increase in focus.
- Cinematic Visuals: The scenes and their sights are shot by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom and the punk rock concert where the film takes place is bound and captures the close space and the emotion of the character perfectly.
- Shyamalan’s Signature Style: Lovers of M. Night Shyamalan will love the director’s style of telling the story because the movie is full of suspense, psychological thriller, and twist.
Minus Points
- Pacing Issues: It is worthy of note that some of the film speed limitations have been widely observed especially from the middle of the film detailing the characters.
- Predictable Plot: As admirable as the concept is, there could be several scenes that could be quite clichéd to any lover of the thriller shows.
- Underdeveloped Supporting Characters: The protagonist and the secondary one are rather interesting, but as for some of the side characters it will be better to discover more about their backgrounds to turn them into organic parts of the story.
Technical Aspects
Trap has a runtime of approximately 105 minutes and is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The film features cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, and he captures concert energy well and constricts the interior space. In the editing by Noëmi Preiswerk, there are not many interruptions but a certain problem of impulse pace can be seen.
The film also has a strong musical accompaniment by Herdís Stefánsdóttir – this is a great addition that only strengthens the movie’s darker aura and voice, both dramatic and dramatic. It’s even accompanied by the original songs sung by Saleka Shyamalan who portrays Lady Raven in the film, which compliments the film.
Performance
Though the acting status of Josh Hartnett has faded, a viewer is fully apt to believe Upper Cooper as a man who has to take responsibility for his child and whose feelings reach deep inside. Thus, his opportunity to tell the audience about shyness and willingness at the same time can be considered a plus. This is the acting debut of Saleka Shyamalan who plays Lady Raven with the help of her musical skills and contributes to the film plot completeness of the main enigma.
I think she has great chemistry with Hartnett and it makes the story much more emotional. Television pair Hayley Mills and Alison Pill give good accounts of themselves and are quite affecting in their respective insignificant roles but their characters require more fleshing out.
MoviePopTime Review:
This film is incredible, and in all honesty, I am struggling to see how this has a low rating. Normally, I am very picky and use review scores as a guide mostly due to how many pointless movies exist nowadays. However, this one, should not be overlooked! I entered the cinema without any expectations, and the first ten seconds of the trailer did it. They aimed at elaborating a few things, like sometimes police failures and certain escapes – the things that did not bother me while watching at all. I normally find flaws in plots or outrageous characters and stop the movies to discuss them, but only in this film, did I get two of those instances.
I get the feeling that you like the hero a little less than in the “You” series, in some scenes you even begin to support the villain. This is a very emotionally charged movie and boasts great performances across the board and while I could have done with more of the Profiler I didn’t want this movie to end. It’s a smart, tense thriller full of twists and turns, and while the music, at times, felt too understated, I could see by the end of the film that it was the perfect score. I’m just glad I did watch it and would easily suggest it to anyone looking for an absorbing and well-done television event. Kudos to everyone involved!
Conclusion
In conclusion, Trap is the new good psychological Thriller where the audience searches for trust, morals and other people’s actions’ consequences in conditions of fear. Of course, discussion of the movie can be accompanied by certain juts as to pacing and predictability, however, there are more advantages, namely, the outstanding performance of the leading actors and, of course, the nonconventional approach to the work of M. Night Shyamalan.
The aspect of the music industry, and how people would go to the extreme to get to the top is also well portrayed in the film, so for those who love themes of psychological thrill, the film is good food for thought. Dramatic and rhythmic, filled with impressive graphic effects and non-stop music, Trap is something every fan of the genre should not miss, as well as every adrenaline lover.
Taken on the whole, Trap fits into the continuity of the films Shyamalan created, proving that the writer-director knows how to build suspense based on the exploration of the human soul. The selling point of the film will therefore lie in its predominantly mystery and suspense to force the viewers to put into question the facets of trust as well as the line between right and wrong.
Also Read: The Dark Knight Movie Review