
As soon as the name Mr. Night Shyamalan comes into focus, everyone seems to pause. First, let’s figure out if this movie is worth watching or not. I am sure you have all heard that Shyamalan has a large following of diehard fans, who were first introduced to him through his terrifying 1999 film, the Sixth Sense. After that, a couple of his films were decent, and then it just went down for him from there. If you watch Shyamalan’s several last films, they are more satisfying than in the past, but one can hardly respect his work through the prism of statistics over the scope of his career, he delivered more disappointments than outstanding films.
But I don’t know why. I want to root for him. He is a self-made director, who funds his projects and is not afraid to entertain his fans with creative stories. He is not Hollywood’s robotic clone, so his potential disasters do not feel too predictable.
Many people online wonder what has made Shyamalan’s career so unstable since his early works. Most of his failures have been attributed to his penchant for ‘twists’. In Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, he boasts one of the most memorable and enjoyable endings in cinema history, and it seems Shyamalan has sought to duplicate this formula ever since but with varied success. The trouble is, these days, audiences anticipate them since it’s expected, and hence, they are not surprises anymore, hence making Shyamalan devise them in a more random fashion which is counter-productive to the storyline.
Recognizing how Trap has previously been made, you cannot consider this solely an original work. However, those of us who have seen the movie will understand why it seems rather redundant at this point. However, those who have seen the trailer are understandably disappointed because a lot was supposed to be kept under wraps, including “the twist” for this film. Now, having watched the film, I would not call it a twist. It is simply the very heart of this entire plot. Although I would never refer to it as a surprise given it is included in the promotion of the motion picture, I would still refrain from discussing it in this review. There probably exist some people who wish to remain clueless about the main hints that the film gives even before they enter the auditorium. Of course, let me remind you that a spoiler-free attitude concerning the Geeks Under Grace’s Content Guides was never part of the design.
The film Trap can be classified as a horror movie, but it is more like a thriller or crime drama. The plot centers on the search for a serial killer, previous killings are periodically discussed and depicted in outline form. One of the characters is abused and has their eyes pulled out not much bloodshed, but the camera doesn’t cut away that quickly. One character is shown being burned with hot oil but from a far distance. Numerous strained dramatic sequences where the characters are in danger. One of the demigods is shown being Tasered by the stupid police. Hapless someone is deliberately thrown off the steps. Some thoughts about suicide.
Trap is a catastrophe as far as its story construction is concerned, yet it is still able to be a fun experience. The film’s biggest “twist” is that it works as quite a good concert tape. It is not a secret that this tape is imbued with a musical element, as Shyamalan is said to have pitched the film in several instances, saying, “Imagine Silence of the Lambs, but at a Taylor Swift concert”. But it is astonishing how much the music side of the plot astounds me, I have even jokingly wanted to share that Trap is a musical film on GUG’s website.
In “There’s Something Wrong with The Children” Saleka Shyamalan portrays a fictitious mega-musical star, Lady Raven. Of course, one must also be prepared for the slammers and haters when they see M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter on-screen. She is a common target for criticism for being involved in his work and seems to have strong links to nepotism. It’s sad because a director who self-funded part of his movies instead of letting family members use them to look like a total loser, chooses to work with family members. If you can’t tell, personally I don’t really have strong views on this topic. Ending up in a situation where you know someone is benefiting from being talentless is frustrating but this isn’t the case with Saleka. She does shoulder the character well. And that is already commendable. I have seen real musicals where at least one great song has been missing or underwhelming and here in Trap, Saleka has fourteen tracks assigned to her and all of them go great and are enjoyable.
This film creates the concert audience’s excitement perfectly, as well as the atmosphere that usually accompanies such events. In this film, Ariel Donoghue portrays Riley, Cooper’s daughter who is played by Josh Hartnett and is Lady Raven’s fan. She radiates enthusiasm and it is easy to get carried away by the mood. It is wholly plausible to imagine that Lady Raven could be a successful performer, and considering that the audience of Trap gets the opportunity to watch large parts of her staged concert, it does not disappoint to watch.
Musical horror is a fascinating combination, but as much as they would like to say otherwise, the first genre in Trap is quite evidently predominant. To offer Saleka Shyamalan as a super megastar is quite easy, but providing the entire story of the film lacks logic is hard. The idea that the gathering of people in such a way could be a good opportunity to hunt down a serial killer is highly undermining to one’s suspension of disbelief. These and many other scenes in the film are saved by an incompetent portrayal of the police and their tactics that become ludicrous.
It’s obvious from the start that Trap, from a structural perspective, is an unusual movie. It intends to be some fanciful, all-consuming game of cat and mouse, but the action focuses on a particular aim, which is rather awkward. For both the killer and the audience, it’s a never-ending attendance to a concert (albeit a fun one, but attendance nonetheless). A few limitations or barriers are crossed in this part of the story, but mostly everything stagnates, and the pace begins to drag with even the minimal action that does happen being rather boring. Then quite a bombshell in terms of character actions, which is very confusing in scope, the film does a complete 360. Suddenly characters are being introduced when the film has previously been quite neat and while it’s interesting and engaging watching it, something about it feels a bit lazy in terms of the telling of the story. At the very beginning of Trap, there was no need for the tension that was aimed for. Rather, it circles the message vaguely and somehow loses control of its true purpose, fumbling to deliver the message clearly.
Again, some of M. Night Shyamalan’s weaknesses as a director come forth in Trap. He can be commended for at least attempting to vary his camera angles. In Trap, there are several moments where actors speak their lines looking directly into the camera lens. It’s strange and somewhat creepy, which fits quite well with the theme of the film, but it also feels awkward in a way that is not good for the audience. It also eliminates the opportunity for the actors to improvise and play off each other, instead, they are merely acting separately. This means that some batches of lines turn out weak and cringe, as typical of Shyamalan at times, Chy Hollywood’, scripts tend to be overly blunt sometimes.
Nonetheless, many have commended Hartnett, it’s a polemic that they claim marks his comeback. Personally, and with no offense intended, I was never entirely convinced. There were times when his performance seemed a little half-hearted, and even if it could be claimed that it was part of the character, it wasn’t always the best creative choice. M. Night Shyamalan has worked with several big-named actors throughout his years, yet sadly, he has not been able to extract the best performances.
Still, it is enough to survive. However, this doesn’t automatically classify this movie as a bad one. As I said earlier, this is a movie that is fun to watch! Palatable, even. Due to its fast-paced water cooler writing tethered around a constant state of action, things tend to get ridiculous and yet it is quite fascinating and entertaining. The story structures are chaotic, yet they are appealing in some aspects. There’s an element of cheeky humor in Trap’s execution as well not that the film in any way takes itself too seriously, because its makers are well aware that the audience is not as well due to the film’s simplistic plot. Do not leave while the credits start, because there is a really funny mid-credits sequence.
If you are looking for something to watch, then I would suggest Trap. It comfortably resides within the boundaries of the mid-PG-13 rating. Considering that this is a movie about a serial killer, the actual murders are not graphic in terms of what is shown on screen. There are two notable violent acts that are both listed in the content guide but these both seem like blink-and-you-miss moments. One doesn’t find it excessive and it is not your run-of-the-mill horror. The word “Hitchcockian” has often been used for the film as it is less horror and more a drama (with musical numbers) that is filled with suspense. Because of this, it is a good choice for those who do not like the normal conventions of the horror genre but are searching for something a bit different or for young audience members, i.e. teens. For parents that have a teenage child wanting to delve deeper into adult content, where such a patient, delicate balance has never been easy to find, then Trap is a good balance. It has enjoyable content wrapped in a goofy story but without the dark corners that are the hallmark of horror movies.
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