Even his most vociferous critics concede that M. Night Shyamalan has made some interesting, entertaining films. 'The Sixth Sense' and 'Unbreakable,' his third and fourth features, are generally considered to be his finest, though later works- most notably 'Split'- are also quite enjoyable. However, his filmography is populated more by duds than hits. From 'The Happening' and 'After Earth' to 'Old', Shyamalan has made many convoluted, dull and downright moronic movies, that no-one- not even his mother- could love.
His newest venture, 'Trap', follows Cooper and his daughter Riley, who attend a concert for their favourite musician, pop star Lady Raven. They've been looking forward to it for ages, and are excited as all get out. However, the gig is not what it seems. The whole show is, in fact, an elaborate sting operation, to capture a serial killer known as The Butcher. With the police outside, and The Butcher among the fans, will anyone survive; and with this film, does Shyamalan have a hit on his hands, or yet another dud?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering its ludicrous premise, 'Trap' is tatty nonsense, with a predictable narrative so full of plot holes and cliches it makes Shyamalan's egregious 'Old' look like the work of Orson Welles. One would be forgiven for assuming that a four-year-old child wrote the screenplay, so mindlessly ridiculous the film is throughout its interminable 105-minutes. Nothing in it makes sense. From the beginning to the end, it's balderdash of the highest level. Logic has no place in Shyamalan's world. Take the police, for example. Nearly everything they do in their hunt for The Butcher is the opposite of what they should be doing; almost as if the entire force were on the serial killer's side.
Moreover, the characterisation involved is asinine, slim and cliched, especially that involving The Butcher. In addition, characters do not act rationally, nor do they act irrationally in a consistent manner: they are whatever Shyamalan wants them to be in the moment, whether or not it makes sense. What's worse: the film lacks suspense, without any tension or gripping moments- the death knell for a thriller.
Further, the dialogue is laughably stilted, making one wonder if Shyamalan has ever had a conversation with a real person before. It is so utterly unnatural it's genuinely puzzling how anyone who read the script could possibly agree to star in it (unless, of course, you were related to the filmmaker).
However, there are some reasonably bright spots in the teeming pit of underwhelment that 'Trap' is, namely Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's cinematography. His use of close ups and quick pans effectively generates the energy that the narrative sorely lacks, which Herdís Stefánsdóttir's score compounds. However, Saleka Shyamalan's songs for Lady Raven- which are made such a focal point one wonders if her father made the whole film simply to give her a platform to sing and dance- are generic and dull, though she performs them well.
Josh Hartnett stars as Cooper, and his performance is either quite clever, or rather poor, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, the character he is playing is acting themselves, trying to project the visage of normality, as it were. In the stressful situation Cooper finds himself in, that visage slips and begins to crack, appearing unnatural and forced. Therefore, the fact that Hartnett is over-the-top and slightly off could be a clever approach to the role. On the other hand, maybe that's not the case, and he just misjudged his performance.
Ariel Donoghue stars as Riley, and doesn't get all that much to do, really, bar shouting and screaming for Lady Raven, which she does energetically enough. The aforementioned Saleka Shyamalan stars as Lady Raven, and her father really should have gone in a different direction other than home when casting that particular role- and when getting someone to write the songs too, for that matter.
She brings to mind Sofia Coppola in 'The Godfather Part III.' Directed by her father, Coppola was incredibly wooden, much like Shyamalan in 'Trap.' Although, considering the terrible dialogue; no one could perform admirably in her role. Additionally, Alison Pill and Hayley Mills both have small roles as Rachael, Cooper's wife, and an FBI profiler, respectfully, and anyone could have stepped into their near miniscule parts and been as effective as they.
In short, M. Night Shyamalan's 'Trap' is another in the long line of misfires the director has had over his career. In fact, looking at his filmography, he's had more misses than hits- a lot more. With a senseless narrative, stilted dialogue and slim characterisation, it's not got much to offer. Although the cinematography and score are both good, the songs performed by the Lady Raven character are dull, and the cast do uncommendable work. To put it succinctly and not beat around the bush, 'Trap' is utterly crap.
