trap

TRAP

Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Well, he's done it again. Only an auteur like M. Night Shyamalan could give us such a gloriously preposterous summer thriller like TRAP. It's part "Silence of the Lambs" meets "Psycho" at a Taylor Swift type concert and part musical showcase for Shyamalans real-life daughter Saleka. This is some of the most fun I've had at the movies this year.

Josh Hartnett (looking dreamier than ever at 46) stars as Cooper, a sweet unassuming father taking his teenage daughter to see the (fictional) pop star Lady Raven, played by Saleka. The two very important (spoiler-free) key plot points are that unbeknownst to anyone, Cooper is also The Butcher, a local serial killer wanted for at least 12 grisly murders. That and the whole concert is actually a sting operation to catch him. What follows for the next 100 minutes is an increasingly absurd cat and mouse game as we follow Hartnett try and try to slip through the cracks. 

Say what you will about M. Night Shyamalan but don't call it a comeback. From the gonzo secret spinoff SPLIT and it's sequel GLASS, to 2021's gnarly body horror OLD and last year's queer religious thriller KNOCK AT THE CABIN; He is consistently one of the most original filmmakers working today and has been cranking these out steadily. 

TRAP is much sillier than those other flicks and the movie knows it. The father daughter themes are apparent and Saleka's music as Lady Raven is absolutely dynamite but this is Hartnett's show. Giving the single best performance of his career, he gives us layer after layer of genuine love for his daughter mixed with an absolutely unhinged psychopath. He gives us Aw Shucks Golly Gee Dad Jokes while also twitching and sweating and scheming and plotting. The film's other brilliant secret weapon is the casting of Hayley Mills as the FBI profiler hot on the trail. The 78 year old Disney Icon brings a level of gravitas and camp to the character, Hannibal Lecter got nothing on her! 

This is silly thrilling goofy fun of the highest caliber, M. Night they could never make me hate you.

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 4