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| Source: IMDB |
I’ve seen a lot of movies this year. Part of that results in me having more knowledge about specific tropes, production histories, and the filmmaking process than most people. Since the mid-2010s, M. Night Shyamalan feels like he keeps pumping out average-after-average thrillers. But his gall to experiment makes him unique from most directors working in Hollywood nowadays. TRAP might just be one of his ballsiest films yet, as it starts strong with an eye-watering premise and then proceeds to dive down a mile-high cliff with some of the most illogical and annoying decisions I have seen this year thus far.
To start, the main premise promised in the trailer is only a factor in the film's first half. The rest is shockingly nonsensical and to be honest, I don’t think I could do it justice. Shyamalan spent 5 months on this script, but it only feels like he thought of how to execute part of it. Also, this suffers from a big case of a “conventionally attractive white man” protagonist,” which makes the whole experience feel emotionally iffy. A direction I was hoping this would go in is analyzing the killer’s internal reaction and struggle to get out of the trap, but the film makes him surprisingly devoid of uncertainty or doubts.
Josh Hartnett’s eerie suburban dad performance is the one thing that makes this feel cohesive and engaging. It’s almost unbelievable how tailored he is to the script, perfectly complimenting the believability of every choice and decision made. Outside of that, this is a big vanity project for Saleka Shyamalan's singing career, as the titular concert is just a studio-subsidized demo reel for her. Surprisingly, she does play a pretty large role, despite unexpectedly disappearing right before the climax.
All-in-all, TRAP feels like yet another case of missed potential this year, as a good lead performance and a tensionful first half can’t save this from being irrelevant in today’s horror landscape.
My Rating: 5/10 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿
Now playing in theaters!
A Warner Bros. Pictures Release
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