Review: Trap

Image courtesy of Warner Bros.

M. Night Shyamalan's "Trap" is likely the director's best film since his early successes, even if it's not quite as good as those films. The picture starts out as a somewhat gimmicky thriller set in one location - the concert of a popstar - but eventually becomes more tense once it leaves those environs.

The film's setup is simple: A man named Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is taking his teenage daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to the concert of a pop singer modeled after Taylor Swift named Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan, the director's daughter). He notices that there is heavy police and FBI presence at the concert and asks a gossipy T-shirt salesman as to what's going on.

As it turns out, the concert is an elaborate setup to catch a serial killer known as The Butcher, whom law enforcement has figured out will be in attendance at the concert. Cooper, as anyone who hasn't seen the trailer learns, is The Butcher, and much of the film is centered around his attempts to figure out a way to elude police and flee the concert.

During the film's first section set at the concert, there are numerous scenes of Cooper nosing about, looking for exits, and stealing items he can use - security badges, a walkie talkie, and information - to help him escape. Riley seemingly notices his odd behavior, but is also enraptured by seeing her favorite singer perform.

I don't know if this qualifies as a spoiler alert, but the latter half of the picture involves Cooper, his daughter, and Lady Raven after they have left the concert. Part of the picture's final section is set at Cooper's home, where his wife (Alison Pill) and children begin to learn more about Cooper's double life.

This final section is more thrilling than the earlier sections, which were well enough made due to the constrictions of the concert setting, but still felt a little gimmicky. There's a tense standoff between Cooper and Lady Raven late in the film as well as a series of escapes that add to the tension.

Ultimately, "Trap" has a difficult time wrapping up. There are numerous false starts and stops and its finale seems to exist solely for the purpose of setting up a sequel, assuming this film is a success. Hartnett does a fine job in the lead role as Cooper, who can occasionally elicit sympathy, despite being a violent maniac.

"Trap" is probably Shyamalan's best film since his early successes - namely, the solid "The Sixth Sense," the moody "Unbreakable" and the frightening "Signs." The decades since have seen a number of mediocre and a few bad thrillers or adventure films. "Split" was a decent entry in the director's oeuvre, but it fell apart toward its end. "Trap" may be somewhat of a mixed bag, but it's at least a step in the right direction after such recent misfires as "Old" and "Knock at the Cabin."