‘Trap’ is a hilarious, unconventional serial killer thriller

M. Night Shyamalan always knows how to write a killer premise, and Trap is no different – Cooper (Josh Hartnett) treats his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert, but there seems to be a police operation taking place at the show. Cooper finds out from a merch stall worker (Jonathan Langdon) that the whole concert is a sting – a trap, if you would – to catch a serial killer known as The Butcher. The catch? Cooper is The Butcher.

It’s a delightfully unhinged premise that only grows more insane with every passing minute. Trap soon becomes about Cooper’s continued attempts to elude capture at the concert designed to put him in handcuffs. Yet underneath its hyperreality, Shyamalan’s latest outing in the director’s chair is a genuinely entertaining thriller; even if it does falter a bit at the finish line. 

Much of this owes to the impressive control of filmmaking craft that Shyamalan and cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Challengers, Call Me By Your Name) display throughout the film. Shot on 35mm film stock, Trap’s use of vibrant blues and reds effectively convey its concert setting, as does Lady Raven (played by Saleka, Shyamalan’s daughter), whose music and fans echo the cultural sensations surrounding artists like Taylor Swift. 

The unique setting of ‘Trap’

The uniqueness of its concert setting is what makes Trap equally hilarious and thrilling, as Cooper works tirelessly to circumvent this meticulously laid plan. It’s benign to say the film lacks real credulity when it’s so obvious that Shyamalan is winking at the audience every step of the way.  

Hartnett’s performance as a hyper-OCD murderer here feels off-kilter at first, but once I began thinking of it as a serial killer’s idea of a normal person, it clicked into place. Trap doesn’t work without his strong sense of when to play up the fatherly and psychotic aspects of his character, and when the mask fully comes off, the film can be truly thrilling.

The portrayal of OCD might not be particularly sensitive, but it’s interesting to meditate on what the character of Cooper means considering the fact that Shyamalan is the father of three daughters. It’s a strangely standard dilemma in a way; Cooper wants to present as a loving father to Riley, but his work and true self comes into conflict with this.

Other members of the cast include Alison Pill as Rachel, Cooper’s wife, in a fairly short but highly impactful performance, and 20th century star Hayley Mills (who was in The Parent Trap, I’m sure you see the connection) as the almost supernaturally gifted criminal profiler Dr. Grant. Additionally, Saleka is highly believable in her popstar role, and a good amount of the film’s function relies on her performance.

The film isn’t perfect – Shyamalan struggles once more with penning a satisfying third act, even if it’s still pretty entertaining as you’re given a final twist or three – but that doesn’t stop Trap from being a genuinely entertaining experience that’s best seen in the halls of a movie theatre with a similarly delighted audience. 

★★★½
In cinemas now