The Stream: The most intriguing parts of the movie are spoiled in the trailer.

The Big Screen: A good, sinister Josh Hartnett performance and a few funny moments.

The Final Bill: A tense cat-and-mouse thriller that loses steam near the end.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writers: M. Night Shyamalan
Stars: Josh Hartnett, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill, Saleka Shyamalan, Kid Cudi,
Ariel Donoghue
Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: PG-13 for some violent content and brief strong language
Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes
Production Companies: Blinding Edge Pictures
Platform: In theaters August 2, 2024
Notable Trailers: Gladiator II, Blink Twice, Flight Risk, Speak No Evil, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Joke: Folie a Deux

What’s up, Streamers!?! Earlier this summer, we saw the debut feature film from one of M. Night Shyamalan’s daughters called The Watchers. Now, we are treated to Night’s own latest flick, Trap, which features one of his other daughters, Saleka Shyamalan, as a pop star named Lady Raven. In Trap, Josh Hartnett plays Cooper, a doting father, who is taking his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to a concert of her favorite musician, Lady Raven. Once at the concert, Cooper notices a heavy police presence and finds out that the police are there to catch a serial killer called “The Butcher.” If you’ve seen the trailer, then you know the rest. Cat-and-mouse hijinks ensue.

Trap suffers from great-trailer-itis. (I just made that up.) It’s when a movie has an excellent trailer that leads to heightened expectations. Unfortunately, Trap fails to meet those expectations. It’s a decent thriller, but the preview ruins much of what’s tense and suspenseful about the movie. Shyamalan has come up with an intriguing premise, brimming with potential for tension and thrills; but, the final screenplay does too much explaining and loses focus, which makes the situation too silly to be exciting.

It’s good to see more of Josh Hartnett. He is perfectly cast in this role. He plays the attentive father, the sinister alleged serial killer, and the trapped man very well. As long as the movie is following Hartnett and Cooper’s machinations trying to escape the concert, then it is good. It does lose steam with we are flooded with exposition and Shyamalan’s attempts to wrap up the story. There are some funny moments with a side character that will be memorable. The concert, itself, isn’t bad, and Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka is a pretty convincing pop star. She’s less convincing as an actress, but I’ll keep that commentary to a minimum.

Why is Hayley Mills in this movie other than to remind us of The Parent Trap? She’s got nothing to do here and her every line is ridiculous and unnecessary. Oh well!

Ultimately, Trap has a pretty good premise and some suspenseful moments, but the overall movie doesn’t live up to the promise of the thrilling trailer. Josh Hartnett gives a good performance and adds to the sinister tone of the movie. There are both some lame, groan-inducing moments and a few good chuckles. Shyamalan fans may be satisfied enough with a matinee viewing, but for most others, Trap might be best enjoyed when it comes to streaming.