M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap is a refreshing entry in his career and I’ve enjoyed most of his movies. This time around, he forgoes the twists that have become his trademark and instead delivers a taut, suspenseful thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Josh Hartnett stars as Cooper, a seemingly ordinary family man who hides a dark secret—he’s the notorious serial killer known as The Butcher (meh, as a moniker). As a firefighter and loving father, Cooper is taking his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert by her favorite pop star, Lady Raven (played by Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka). The setup is simple, yet it’s executed with precision, slowly tightening the noose around Cooper as the FBI closes in on him at the concert venue.
Hartnett’s portrayal of Cooper is well done. He expertly balances the duality of his character—charming and devoted on the surface, yet harboring a dangerous, unhinged side beneath. His performance is a masterclass in controlled intensity, making Cooper a compelling and complex villain that frankly you kinda find yourself rooting far. The film builds tension methodically, with Hartnett’s character gradually unraveling as the stakes rise, culminating in a finale that didn’t quite end the way I expected…Spoiler alert, he is caught but will escape 🙂 I also anticipated a twist ending that has become Shyamalan’s trademark and thought the FBI director was going to be revealed as his psychotic mother but that didnd’t him.
The decision to cast Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven might raise some eyebrows, but I thought she did quite well in a role that requires her to both sing and act. Her portrayal of a Gen Z pop sensation is authentic, and her music adds an interesting layer to the film’s atmosphere.
What sets Trap apart from Shyamalan’s previous work is its focus on sustained tension rather than relying on a final-act twist. This approach allows the story to breathe, giving the characters room to develop and the suspense time to simmer. The film’s pacing is deliberate, building to a crescendo as Cooper’s desperation grows, and the FBI’s net tightens around him.
One of the film’s strengths is its ability to maintain a sense of unpredictability without resorting to gimmicks. You know from the outset that Cooper is the killer, but the question of how he will evade capture—and whether he even can—keeps you hooked. Shyamalan deftly weaves in obstacles and challenges that keep the audience guessing, creating a thriller that is as much about the psychology of the characters as it is about the chase.
Shyamalan shows that he doesn’t need a shocking twist to deliver a memorable cinematic experience.
