Are Critics Wrong About M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’?

I’m going to get a lot of side-eye from my film friends for this one, but I actually liked the new M. Night Shyamalan movie, Trap. 

Josh Hartnett stars as Cooper, who is trying to be the ultimate girl dad to his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) by bringing her to a Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) concert. Think Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande. 

Cooper is informed by chatty stadium employee Jamie (Jonathan Langdon) that the entire show is actually an elaborate setup to catch a serial killer known as The Butcher.

There’s just one problem: Cooper is The Butcher.

Throughout the film’s increasingly unbelievable twists and turns, Cooper has to figure out how to escape the clutches of the law and make sure his daughter has the night of her life. Meanwhile, the audience has to figure out how we can be so enamored with the charm Hartnett brings to the role when we know Cooper is a psycho.

Yes, Trap is filled with Shyamalan’s trademark bizarre dialogue that sounds like he’s never spoken to a human being before. Yes, it gets increasingly ridiculous as the plot unfolds. Yes, it’s basically a vehicle to launch his daughter’s music career. But it’s also a lot of fun due in large part to Hartnett’s stellar performance. 

Check out my quick review on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Follow me on Letterboxd to see what I’m watching.