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Unbelievable! The way they were able to find street parking outside the concert venue :sob:
It started off interesting, but by the second half it went so horribly wrong and boring.
It’s like M.Night Shyamalan made this movie purely to try make his daughters singing career a thing. Then there’s her acting… so painful to watch.
I really had high hopes for this one, but it’s a massive letdown :( Great to see Josh Hartnett back on the big screens and shirtless. Smash
The twist is that nepotism is bad! Starts out promising but gets worse as it goes along.
This movie was just a horrible back drop to promote M. Night Shyamalan's daughters' musical career and hopes of getting her an actng career. His daughter's "acting" sucked! The plot of the second half was just awful and straight up ridiculous and unbelievable.
Josh Hartnett's superb acting skills were wasted in this role in this movie. I feel embarrassed that he's associated with this movie. Like most people said, the first half of the movie was pretty good, and this movie had so much promise, but the second half just went downhill and got worse and worse. This movie had potential to be a great movie, but it fell far short of reaching that goal.
I was super psyched to see this and I just got back from watching it. Started off so well and was so intrigued in where the film was going and then it just fizzled out in such a disappointing manner.
Could have been okay if his daughter didn’t have a speaking role (maybe), but the plot was very straightforward and didn’t go anywhere.
First part is enjoyable, if a bit badly written, second part after the concert just gets dumber and dumber, no twists at all, lame ending.
M. Night Shyamalan somehow keeps managing to make movies that are dumb and laughable, yet I'm utterly intrigued and can't look away for even a second.
'Trap' is kinda bad, but it's immensely entertaining. And in the end, does a movie really need to be anything more than that?
Mehhh, first half was interesting, second half was boring af. disappointed!
It's a very uneven movie with a flawed script, too many conveniences and unnecessary justifications. In its first half, this is already the case, but the entertainment factor outweighs it, it has an interesting involvement, but from the middle to the end everything is lost, with unnecessary scenes, monologues to try to give explanations, as well as average performances, and extremely predictable situations.
Speaking of the real, that bad movie, full of unnecessary twists, many holes in the script, the main character in some parts acts well and also the script is super convenient what is bad, after the first 30 minutes the film starts to get extremely tiring and meaningless many parts, only good part of this plot is the show because the rest does not deliver anything.
And the ending, how predictable, anyway, bad movie.
Dexter meets Taylor Swift. Pleasantly surprised by this one, my favorite M. Night movie sinse Split. The premise of this is so original and engaging. Cheesy and silly with awkward dialogue like most Shyamalan movies and it only gets worse as the movie progresses but I found it appealing here. It embraces itself so much and Josh Hartnett sells it so well that I never cringed at the direction it took, it was just bonkers fun cheese.
Josh Hartnett was perfectly cast here, without him this movie would be so flat. Without a doubt he's better than this movie. Solid performance and such an interesting character. So imposing just by how tall he is but also clever and unhinged. Loved the dad jokes and teen vocabulary stuff was pretty funny. The father daughter dynamics are touching and I digged the performance from the daughter. Alison Pill was also a standout in the third act, the woman can act!
I'm not sold on Saleka's acting but she sure can sing and dance. Loved most of the music in this movie and I 100% bought that she was a famous singer, she had that energy. Good-looking movie in general, nice camerawork, pacing is totally off, soooo many inconsintencies in the story, and I thought this movie would end at least three times. Overall this wasn't quite crispy but I had a lot of fun.
For his last couple of efforts M. Night barely managed to hold my attention, so I wasn't really looking forward to this. It's clear that as a filmmaker he's still interested in that line between horror and camp, he builds his entire artistic signature around that idea. Think of auteurs like Sam Raimi or Yorgos Lanthimos, where everything that's on display is filtered through a stylistic lens that's specific to the filmmaker. The problem is that the end result here feels more like something that was conceived and executed by Tommy Wiseau. It's easily one of the dumbest, schlockiest releases of the year. The performances and dialogue are kind of a big joke, it's like an alien wrote and directed it. Not in a cool Kubrickian way, but in a way that'll leave you confused. At this point I can't say I was too surprised by any of this, but it's pretty embarrassing he still hasn't figured out how to make any of these choices fit into a cohesive vision after all these years. It's not really funny of subtly clever enough to work as silly camp, and it's simultaneously way too stupid to work as a genuine suspense thriller. To put it simply: it's lowbrow and trashy, none of this is really elevated in the same way that Shyamalan managed to do early on in his career. He's made this type of movie way too many times now to still be offended by it, but there's one specific thing here I find less excusable. I think it's pretty gross how Shyamalan uses this movie as a platform to push his daughter into the industry, to me it reeks of the same kind of narcissism that made Will Smith really annoying. She has a quite a sizeable role as the popstar of the concert our protagonists are attending, and for the first half of the film it can feel like you're watching an advertisement for her music. I wouldn't care as much if it was interesting, but it's very bland, uninspired r&b fluff that sounds 10 years behind the curve (think a watered down version of the type of sounds that The Weeknd, Tinashe or Glass Animals were messing around with back in the day). Just cast a real artist if you're gonna put that much emphasis on it, Kid Cudi was already right there! Overall, it's another boring piece of shit from a director that only seems to get more pretentious as time goes on. With the right kind of stimulants it might be enjoyable in the same way that a movie like The Room is enjoyable, but there's nothing of real value here.
1.5/10
Terrible film. The first act is good, the 2nd is average and the 3rd is so bad on a level rarely seen. The premise is good, a movie about a concert to trap a serial killer. But there's no twist. Hartnett is convincing as a psycho slowly feeling closed in. Hayley Mills is terrible as a 85yr old British FBI chief, just so weird.
You spend the first 20 minutes wondering if it's really him, then you root for him when you find out he's the killer (probably because he's such a nice dad), then by the third act you hope he gets caught and Shyamalan never makes a movie again. The plot holes are ridiculous, the acting is largely bad, the execution of the end is horrible. Shyamalan just doesn't know how to make or end films anymore.
He's a terrible track record following the a
Village. 20yrs ago! (2004) With Split and the Visit as potentially the only good films he's made since then.
The Happening, terrible.
The Last Airbender, terrible.
After Earth, terrible.
The Visit, good
Split, good
Glass, okay, terrible ending.
Knock at the Cabin, terrible
Trap, terrible
Bang average. Constant jarring episodes of 'well, that's wouldn't happen' and absolutely ridiculous dialogue.
4/10
There is nothing special about this movie once so ever.
I felt like Riley was just a little too into Lady Raven, was kind of creepy and awkward
I felt like I was at concert for Lady Raven that I never wanted to go to. It was the m night twist, the true horror of the film
The plot was kind of ridiculous, but it was all the coincidences that made the writing feel super lazy; immediately meeting a guy that told him it was a trap, and giving him THE SECRET PASS PHRASE? He just happens to stand next to "Lady Raven's" uncle? The ways he escaped every time? Lazy writing.
The twist in this movie was when I realized I had been tricked into watching a 2 hour marketing video for the singer-songwriter Saleka Shyamalan. Yes, "Lady Raven" is M. Night's daughter :unamused:
I sincerely enjoyed the movie. And that's with a number of scenes that just flat out scream "I think it's unlikely this would happen". Teenage girls obsessed with pop stars who don't know when their phone is missing. Good Samaritans who approach open vans because the person inside beckons. And a few more I'm already forgetting.
What I won't forget is the fantastic setup. Say what you will about his writing and his movies but M. Night can come up with a hook like no one else in the business. A serial killer, who has been tracked down to a concert that was turned into a trap and now has to escape the concert before the thousands of agents hunting for him figure out who he is, is just brilliant. I absolutely do not regret spending money (albeit discounted) to see this.
The character of the psychopathic serial killer hiding as a regular guy isn't a new character but his characterization here is new. Serial Killers project in two ways in TV and movies. Their either cold, mildly brooding, calculating and stoic like Dexter or Hannibal or they're effusively compulsive and barely controlled like "The Surgeon" in Prodigal Son or Joe Carroll in The Following or Villanelle in Killing Eve. Here the killer strikes in less well worn path like Joe from You did. Cooper aka The Butcher is normally cold and calculating but here he is genuinely caught off guard. He did not see the trap coming and doesn't have a contingency set in place and Josh Hartnett gets to do something other than the Dexter/Joe stare ahead while VO plays. He has to act. Not just act like the father everyone thinks he is but act because The Butcher is frustrated and stymied at every corner. And contrary to what you normally expect from the supporting cast people notice genuinely odd behaviour.
All sorts of people except for.. ya know the people who are looking for him. Cooper is suspiciously not caught on camera with his sneaking in and out. He doesn't do a Dexter/Joe linger stare but he does double and triple takes which no one seems to notice. Except of course for the one scene where he wasn't doing anything weird (Curse you Jody's Mom). In the end I think Cooper is a serial killing protagonist you can root for (like Dexter) without having to feel icky about it (like Joe). And yet by the time the movie was ending I thought to myself: Yeah if they kill him I won't feel anyway about it (unlike Walter White).
Based on the ending. I'll go ahead and say it. It's not definitive like most of M. Night's work. There's a door open for more and we all know what happened the last time that door wasn't closed. It might not have been the most successful Franchise:tm: but I'm sure it made money and studios love money. I wouldn't be surprised to see this turn into the start of another mini franchise surrounding say Dr. Grant . That character is strong enough and interesting enough that I could convince myself maybe I'd watch more of them.
Hartnett has obviously come a long way from his pretty boy Virgin Suicide, 40D 40N season. He's taking a page out of James McAvoy's playlist and he does a great job. Saleka Shyamalan's popstar Lady Raven I didn't expect much out of. Maybe she plays a bigger role in later trailers but I saw the first trailer and stopped watching. Too many trailers ruin the suspense. She was solid here. Doing great work both as a singer popstar and as someone who gets unexpectedly involved in the cat and mouse game. Hayley Mills as Dr. Grant the principal antagonist was played well but due to the perspective of the film not given a lot of material to work with.
There are a loose ends that never got touched in the end. They don't even feel firm enough to be red herrings. Minor spoilers enough to get my point across but not just blabbing the story.
The Animal
At one point they note that the Butcher has an animal on his arm . Cooper has a tiny bird on his wrist and a slap bracelet he picked up is used to cover it but it never shows up. They never look at his arm at any point. At one segment Riley mentions getting some temporary tattoos as a goodie bag bonus. She actually says it twice and I thought maybe we were going to cover up the tattoo with some temps which I thought would have been rather clever but nah.
The Trap
We're told that the concert was designed to be a trap for The Butcher. It's the premise of the trailer but they also flat out say that a few times in the movie too. At the start of the movie it's hinted the only reason the concert exists is to be part of the trap. Lady Raven was sold out but Cooper just got lucky to get tickets to this "last minute" add-on stop. The problem is at the end of the movie we find out someone suspected Cooper, found his ticket to the concert and then laid it as evidence to be investigated . Supposedly it's this tip off which setup the trap . It can't be that he had the ticket for the concert and the concert only exists as a trap for him . It could make sense that he got the ticket and they revamped it into a trap but the movie strongly suggests this isn't the case even though it would explain things like the last minute nature of the setup.
The Interviews
Another major premise of the movie is that they have a handful of profiles of the potential Butcher . They're going one by one taking anyone who matches one of those profiles and interviewing them. But why? The Butcher is an N-th level psychopath and liar. What are they asking these men that Cooper is so afraid (or should be so afraid) of answering? I wish I knew what they were doing if only to give the threat of being caught a little more teeth. It's not like they have a witness or a fingerprint. All the people who were trained about it just say it's a few questions. Maybe if we had gotten something more about Dr. Grant and her skillset maybe I would have gotten some threat from it.
The premise had potential and I'm always rooting for a Josh Hartnett comeback, but unfortunately this was still a big disappointment. The story suffers from some of the worst suspension of disbelief issues of recent memory with plot conveniences galore. The acting from Lady Raven is rough. Still hopeful that Shyamalan recaptures his mojo at some point, but it's definitely not back yet.
Was the twist that I thought the movie was going to end 4 different times and it just kept going.
Was it that a concert took place and ended while still daylight
Was it that police in America only used tasers to subdue a serial killer even after gouging someone's eyes out
Or how about that the directors daughter can't act but it doesn't matter because this was really vehicle to let people know she's working late because she's a singer
Hartnett is great. The rest is pretty bad. There are so many suspend your disbelief moments that it's difficult to reconcile. All that said I was still somewhat intrigued to see how it'd all end so points for that. Daughter Shyamalan's line delivery was so amateurish it became cringe. She tried, but it's crazy those were the takes that made the final cut.
A pretty generous 5.3 here for what did work.
This felt more like a vanity, nepotism project for M. Night Shyamalan to introduce his daughter Saleka Shyamalan to Hollywood as a very bad actress and mediocre singer than an actual project he was passionate to direct and release.
I was beyond excited to watch Trap because I just love Joshua Hartnett and Alison Pill, but their talent was wasted on such a poor script. There was no character development whatsoever, the concert setting added nothing to the story, and most situations were simply not realistic.
I was entertained for a few scenes, but I wasn't nearly as impressed as I expected to be considering Shyamalan's involvement in this.
This has to be the biggest pile of stinking dog poo I've ever had to endure.
I just want it to end, my eyes hurt :head_bandage: :sob:
How is this guy still allowed to make movies :joy_cat:
Keeps you on edge until the very end. More like this please, Mr. Shyamalan.
"Hey daughter, i will make a movie for you"
To begin with, i'm not a hater of Shyamalan, i do not embrace how long will have to suffer with his movies because of sixth sense.
I totally respect him and admire his work but twice now he failed to deliver.
Trap.
The trailer is the best part of it, it feels like is going to be one of his best works, great story and no bother giving who he is from the trailer. It starts a great cat-mouse trap but slowly slowly it gets dumber and dumber. A series of script and logical errors are starting to appear, and there is no way to overlook them.
I will start with the organizing a concert of 30,000 people to catch one Guy, i mean literary that what it was about, no way anyone will endangering 30,000 people to catch him, no one will sign off on that.
Then we have the classic i steel your badge and start wandering around the stadium, the stadium is full with SWAT and tactical teams, like any other movie, no on checks the id no one checks the photo, no one checks nothing.
[THE REST ARE SPOILERS BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TAGS]
* About the ticket that they found, she said she just teared it off to make it look legit. Ok you have a receipt of a concert ticket, there is no way you cannot find out who made the purchase, the seat number, something from that receipt. Even the credit card or who made the purchase.
* The fact that the girl played his mother to manipulate him was completely not realistic. Ok she had to have lines because of nepotism but that was stretched.
* The ability to lose him from the car in the street was shocking and unbelievable incompetence just to make the story progress
* They catch him and then he picks up the bike to put it in position. No one thought of searching him again ?
* The twist ? Really that was a twist, that was from an episode of "The Rookie" , he just took the wheel spoke and we have to have the big reveal via a cinematography superiority of camera work like wow what a surprise.
* They let him hug his daughter ?!?!?!?! WHAT !! ok lets let him take her hostage like, i will stab her with the wheel spoke if you do not let me go.
* What about the laugh in the swat truck. So he unlock the chains and now go where ? about all SWAT is behind him
I was so disappointed not by the fact that there was no twist, but that he thought the twist was that!
Also, there was no signature direction from Shyamalan, very flat, very poor camera work, nothing to give him credit for.
And last, a comic relief scene during credits ??? what is this MARVEL ????
That was not too badly directed but overall totally average.
It's trying to get out instead of in, but it's just a montage of the basic stuff we have already seen hundreds of times in any spy/cop/action movies where the protagonist try to access somewhere.
Well, it's half that, and half boring father/daughter talk mixed with insipid pop-like concert.
His moves are cheap versions of spy movies that work ridiculously well (the merch guy just letting him in ???, the uncle just standing there ???). The concert is a cheap version of current popstars. The psychology is cheap (the pseudo mommy complex, please). The twists are cheap.
And even inside that, lots of things make no sense.
From the small things: they are in a huge event and of course it would be boring to see them queuing, but they just manage to instantly get to the front row twice to see Lady Raven outside, and to buy merch.
To the big ones: there are cameras everywhere and cops have an operation center there. They know the guy is there and they know he wants to create incidents and panic. They would have immediately looked at the security cameras of all incidents (girl pushed down the stairs, kitchen incident, ...
Let's not even talk about anything the merch guy does, which would already be crazy under regular circumstances.
Or that there's no way cops would deploy such an operation for a guy that kidnapped a dozen people, and probably wouldn't enroll and brief that many employees (and artists lol) in it.
Then there's the next part when they exit the arena. Starting there, there's a bit of tension, but no suspense anymore since there is just no way he can survive that. Once he's out with her, there is absolutely no way he is not identified. Either he kills her to gain a little time, or cops will come immediately when he releases her. He can only die, disappear, or get caught.
And it starts making less and less sense.
First, would Lady Raven really go out of her way to save Spencer ? Not sure. They're going through a corridor full of cops. She could just have screamed. Instead she is taking a huge personnal risk, let alone the risks for other people when he's outisde.
Then no one finds her behaviour strange ? And she goes there with just the driver ? No way.
Then she calls on her follower to help Spencer, so not only asking them to commit crimes (they'll be breaking in somewhere), but not even thinking that the house could be trapped (why the hell wasn't it ?). Not even counting that she should have called the cops first. And that she's just putting the whole family in danger, she doesn't know him, he could kill them all now that they know.
For the final scenes, the guy's pretty strong for someone drugged and tazed 4 times. The less subtle way ever to grab a tool. And why the hell woud no cop stay with him in the van ?
Now for the pseudo twist, it sucked. The wife knew all along and she's the one that tipped the cops ? Why ? She makes a speech about how crazy it was to see him lie flawlessly and then just happen to maintain her facade for weeks ? Why not directly call the cops ? What if he killed someone in the meantime ? What if they failed to catch him there ? Plus it could go very badly in a place full of people. Again that's endrangering a lot of people for nothing.
Since it's Shyamalan, I was expecting some twist. At the very least, that maybe the wife was the one making him kill. But it was way cheaper than that.
>"Hey. We should climb down and see where it leads. It looks REALLY cool!"
"What?"
"Wouldn't it be unbelievable to see what's down there? Where they put on the show? There might be COSTUMES and things!"
First half is a comedy, second half is a generic thriller.
First half is better.
Josh Hartnett is actually good in the movie, hamming it up throughout. He’s just better than the script.
Shyamalan has a good idea for a movie that he doesn’t execute too well, again. Knowing he’s in a trap. The killer probably should have stayed still and not do anything that he does.
Shyamalan once again has an unnecessary distracting cameo in one of his movies again. With too many lines as well.
Which he of course started doing with his kids. Since the singer in the movie. Is actually played by his daughter Saleka. The movie isn’t as good as it starts. When she becomes a bigger part of the movie. Than just the singer at the concert.
She’s not a bad singer. The film gets weaker when it relies on her having to act too. Trap also gets weaker when it isn’t about the concert anymore.
For the first time in a movie theatre a movie makes me bite my nails and tremble for what comes next. I am surprised most of the reviews are mixed when it comes to the film. The cinematography was beautiful, the music was moving and the actors did hell of a job. Josh Hartnett did an amazing job in the role of the psychotic Cooper.
10/10
You all complaining but at least her Dad actually did something for her: this movie. My Dad never even sent child support.
Good movie. I was hoping he unalived Lady Raven or the Profiler.
It was actually interesting. All throughout the movie, I kept thinking about what was really happening. I also liked the touch of adding the psychologist to the characters. You don't often see that in films like this. I honestly thought the whole movie would take place at the concert. But all in all, it was an interesting plot. The only downside was the bad acting from the actors.
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘Trap’:
I can understand giving your daughter the spotlight to shine when you have the opportunity and ability to… but my goodness… rein it in at least a little. Playing the pop star worked. Playing the hero did NOT. She just didn’t have the acting chops to pull off anything past the concert stuff. And it destroyed ANY momentum the film was building.
Gosh, it’s so great having Josh Hartnett back on our screens. He played unhinged very well. He also carried this film on his beautiful shoulders. And I fully support the completely out-of-place decision to remove his shirt for the ending. Maybe this should have been called Thirst Trap instead.
Hayley Mills?! The M. Night twist I didn’t see coming.
Good little film. Did not take itself too seriously and was even quite funny in a few parts. I like how they made fun of teen pop idols and their fans and I wish they had done it more. Unfortunately though the concert scenes were still long and painful to watch. Josh does a good job playing his character and the plot unfolds nicely. I was expecting the film to be horrible which always helps.
"There's no way to get out of here. It's kinda dope, right?"
Good premise with some funny facial expressions from our boy Josh, but once again there is a twist and I am not sure it will win everyone over. I do like the last few minutes of it though!
A typical Shyamalan movie. You always hope it gets better and it never does. I couldn't make it this time. The filming, the dialogs, the story - everything's so superficial. It's like hearing Trump talk. There is no deeper message or hidden meaning. It leads nowhere. This is my last movie I'll ever watch by him. I just wasted 45 min of my life that I could have used for something meaningful like staring at a wall. Don't get me started...
For the sake of your health, do not waste your time on this movie. The plot holes and completely horrendous acting are rampant throughout t.
They approached it from a very different angle and I really liked it. The acting was good. The subject was well-crafted. I don't know if the singer is real, but if the voice belongs to him, his voice is really nice. It deserves a clear 8 out of ten from me. Definitely watch it. The guy in the last scene learned his biggest lesson :joy:He won't talk to anyone yet. Thank you for your efforts, it was good.
The allure of the plot is sort of lost when the cheesiness of the delivery is as cheddar as this. If you can stomach that, the satire of modern pop culture and the intentionally poor script work, Trap is a thoroughly engaging, oftentimes funny, thriller that fits perfectly into Shyamalan's mental-illness-makes-superhumans universe. Has all the trappings of a modern cult classic, one that many will put on the very top of their M Night favourites lists to the bemusement of others. Fun, but probably not a favourite for me.
I understand the hate, but if liking this movie is wrong, then I'll happily be wrong because I enjoyed every bit of this. Is it a chill-inducing thriller? No. It's too ridiculous and unbelievable. But goddamn is it fun.
I have never been more dumbfounded and angry at a movie in my life. I would rather get waterboarded than re-watch this.
Worst movie EVER EVER EVER !
It's so ridiculous it makes the movie a horror comedy
Really intrigued by the initial plot. However, the second half of the movie was so lame with bad acting from several actors and a totally flat ending.
Badly written, bad acting, concert feels totally fake with that pretend enjoyment you get from bad extras. It's like a higher budget meme movie in parts. Don't waste your time.
The best scenes in this movie are the ones that don't matter. The things that are supposed to matter, to pack an emotional punch, come off as goofy. Gee, there's a lot of silliness in this movie. Sorry m night if it's not intentional.
What in the MCU...I love the 'Shyamalanet' and it's clear that this isn't 'serious' but at the same time, the presentation was so serious. The posters, trailers, casting, soundtrack, etc. The closest thing I can compare it to is a modern-day Marvel movie. Starts passable for an 80s type 'Die Hard' flick but eventually, and you know exactly when, spirals itself all over the place. I loved how we were tricked by the trailer but once the gimmick runs out, the plot and so much more feels excruciatingly bad. It seems M. Night gets worse as time goes on but I'll always be a fan.
Rated a Connor 0, normal 2
I think a lot of people have already stated the obvious regarding Trap so I'll keep it short. The first half was interesting and had some tension, it wasn't setting the world on fire or bringing anything new to the table but it was certainly watchable.
Then after the concert it descended into chaos and not in a good way, then just when you think it can't get any worse or unbelievable...... It does! So yeah, overall very disappointing really!
first part of the movie is amazing, second though... we needed more of the backstory, cause it felt rushed and chaotic. the actor who plays the Butcher is selling it perfectly, on the other hand Lady Raven actress is unbelievably bad and talentless, I cringed every time she was on the screen. the story had potentional but they didn't develope it properly, shame.
This is one of the worst movie scripts ever, first half started ok but then it went downhill really bad! NOT recommended
Edit: Just finished it, now i give it 3 Stars from 4 stars given previously...
A movie to promote the director’s daughter, with some people doing some stuff along the way.
Well that was very disappointing.
So bad. Terrible script and acting
Wow! After 48 mins the movie went south quick.Please save yourselves, do not watch this crap. Wow! OMG!
Josh Hartnett was so good at portraying Cooper. It felt like he had a better grasp on the character he needed to build than the people or person who wrote the lines portraying Cooper as a villain. The way this film thew away a very solid lineup of actors with one dumb casting choice is a tragedy. I wanted to give it a 2, but the way this film did Josh Hartnett dirty hurt my heart too much so I gave it a 3. The script was very unfocused despite having some lovely actors. The Lady Raven thing was embarrassing to endure. I've always loved M. Night Shyamalan's films, even the less popular ones are some of my favs, but this is by far the worst film he's ever made. I really doubt he could do any worse than this unless he decides to make a spinoff series where his daughter goes off and solves a bunch of crimes in the English countryside or something. I guess once you have money you can just do whatever you like and be happy with yourself :(. I don't mean to be so harsh and mean, but a film like Trap from someone so otherwise incredibly talented doesn't even deserve a rating, tbf. I'm heartbroken.
One of these actors is not like the others...
Loved the unusual POV which could force a distorted sympathy towards the "protagonist." The suspense is top-notch. Josh Hartnett's acting deserves plenty of praise. Hopefully, a series is being developed from this.
Admiral Ackbar tried to warn me about this film. I watched it anyway and while it was enjoyable enough, it still felt a little incomplete.
What an interesting fantastic, but not unique thriller as it follows a father and a daughter who attend a concert, but it turns out it is a trap to catch a serial killer and the serial killer is the main character. What seems like it was going to be a thriller, where the serial killer is not what it seems. It is actually the opposite, but it is still a brilliant movie as it really does a good job of showing. What a true serial killer with a double life looks like and the portrayal and acting of it was brilliant. I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie, and the ideas and creativity of it were really good, as it showed an intensity filming of what is going on inside the killer’s head, how screwed up it is. Although there was no big plot twist like most thrillers like this have there was still a plot twist at the end of his they caught him. Although this film was not very long it felt properly longer.
The idea of the scenery is interesting, the build-up of the first half hour is well constructed and the intrigue throughout the film is well executed. The main character is complex enough, and it is appreciated that he is not just another “all evil” villain. Still, you have to view the film with a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, especially in how the police behave. Not bad for an afternoon's entertainment, but not groundbreaking.
Gave it 35 minutes... should have stopped after 5.
This is a dog of a movie. Bad writing, bad acting and everything is so obvious even Stevie Wonder would switch it off if he was watching with the sound off!!
0/10
Preface: Spoiler contains discussions of the plot including the ending, it's ambiguous but proceed with caution if you haven't watched it and plan to.
The movie was good for one thing: continuously making you think it was over, just for the main character to find a way to keep going. Does that make it a good movie? no, it wasn't that great. Another example of a good premise that was wasted with boring plot points and a lack of any real substance. That being said, it gave you a real sense of not knowing who to trust and what the big plan was going to culminate into. However, the ending was a huge disappointment. They had an opportunity to turn around and say "AHA this all went according to our master plan" but instead they relied on overused, overdone or just unexciting tropes to catch the main character. Which, of course, ended with the "its not over yet, he's got another trick up his sleeve. Stick around for a part two ??" Regardless, it wasn't a complete waste of time. I just wish they perhaps focused more on the forensic/criminal psychologist who had extremely interesting descriptors and dialogue to add. The main character was uninteresting in comparison, it didn't feel like he should have been the lead. So many things felt unanswered too, if this whole trap was set for him, why was it so easy for him to figure things out? If this was supposed to be a cat and mouse game, why did it lack any suspense? To conclude, watch it if you think you'll enjoy it, just don't expect much!
I don't even know where to begin with this one. The concept could be great. But crikey, the execution........ This guy should be forbidden from putting his family (and himself for that matter) in his movies - especially in roles like Lady Raven. Like, really? Could you be any more obvious in both the knock-offs and the intention? Holy fudge. And the whole concert setup is juts so damn cringe. The stage looks so small, the entire venue looks so small (until it doesn't), it's somehow the middle of the afternoon too, and seating, THERE?? Really? I'd expect it in Japan, but that's wholly different. Are concerts in the US really like this? Especially with, what, breaks? Several of them at that? With so many people walking all over the place during the performance, even? I can only suspend my disbelief for so much... The last third or quarter was ok, but I think that's just in comparison to everything before. Especially the concert. First forty minutes felt like an hour and a half to me.
The acting's awful too, I'm sorry but I can't take Josh Hartnett seriously as- either a dad or a master serial killer, and here he tries to play both. Yikes. Poor girl also looks and feels too old for 12. Jody's mom is absolutely overacted. And Lady Raven.... it's also weird how she's just... out of the picture after that awkward hug there, completely forgotten, not a single mention of her anymore.
Geez. I know this guy's movies are basically memes in and of themselves, but this took it even further than that. Just... please make him stop.
Mr. Shyamalan clearly doesn't still lnow how to handle a potentially good theme. I mean, I am just a viewer, but I know how important is it to build all three acts of a movie. Once you fail to produce top quality introduction, no one will believe you the characters and the story. Middle part seemed to heavily lack any suspense. Worst part is, the end lacked it as well, or should I say multiple potential endings? Taking into consideration how many ridiculous situation occured during the movie, I cannot rate high.
Spoiler alert do not waste your time on this garbage
This is why M Night Shyamalan was a good skow pace suspense director. Trap relied on the acting prowess of the main actors, especially Josh Harnett.
Harnett did what Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix did. He brought the character, weird and human, and keep the film exciting to see. That's what makes Trap a Shyamalan classic.
Honorable mention to Allison Pill. She appeared on screen for a few minutes but she stole the screen.
Shyamalan's Trap is not anhorror flick. Trap is a suspense with touches of humor throughout. It did remind me of Sixth Sense, the way the story unfold and how awkward the main character was.
Unlike Shyamalan's daughter film, The Watchers, Trap has a heavier storyline and an unwanted twist with Lady Raven (the other daughter of M Night Shyamalan). It was as if DEI pushed a twist into the atory to make a black woman as a heroine for just a moment.
Highly recommended for Shyamalan's fan.
so boring, did not even finish
Yeah they set up an entire concert with gazillion policemen but cannot notice a dude stealing an employee card and doing weird shit entire time.
Also i guess the concert was at 10am since when it was over and there is still daylight.
We get it m night shalala your daughter can sing, but she cannot act
good movie. crazy but good. i think the singer should be a cop instead.
Please don’t loose your time. It’s terrible.
wasted potential. You'll feel trapped in a dumb plot.
The real:asterisk_symbol: pitch meeting for this movie, is way better than the movie itself.
https://youtu.be/h0hWfoQ0DZw?si=LGfbGaJyxVmVILif
:asterisk_symbol:wink wink
Saleka didn’t do justice to the movie like the way Josh harnett did.He embraced the character
Started well. Became meh in second half.
I think it had potential to be a really interesting story, but the bad dialogue and plot made it a difficult watch. 2/5
Quite OK, but I would replace some of the wooden actors. And Cooper's behavior at the stadium was too suspicious. He would be the first one they would check irl.
It's like Shyamalan direct a Disney Channel movie
And they have no idea who exactly planned the trap! And as the plot and various twists develop, you start to think about the cunning producers who deceived the audience. Just imagine such a scenario in the hands of De Palma? Remember "Snake Eyes"? Hopes die right away, as soon as the heroes leave the concert. Ah, Night...
Not a fan of any of Josh Hartnett’s movies. This movie is a major disappointment. There was nothing remotely interesting about this serial killer. The only interesting fact was how the director M. Night Shyamalan used the movie to launch his daughters singing career!
The script obviously benefits the plot....
But it's entertaining, cliché...
But entertaining...
I liked the actor...
The calculating, compulsive and childhood traumas...
Are common traits...
That was a nice touch...
The details of compulsive perfectionism were good...
And I liked the way he manipulated...
I would watch more of the actor's work...
The first act was really fun… if they had stopped after he gets away from the concert hall it could have been a fun movie
It's an entertaining movie but there was so much more potential.
Everybody, except the kid weirdly enough, talks like a robot (I actually thought Josh Hartnett would be revealed to be a robot as the twist). I think Hartnett is a good actor but I didn't think he was good in this. Also the last 15 minutes orso were boring to me.
And why were there so many kids sick at the concert lol.
I usually enjoy this guy's movies, besides Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs (you know, the only ones everyone likes). I absolutely loved The Village, Lady in the Water and The Happening, just to name a few right at the of the top of my head. I've considered the rest of his filmography "bearable" (oh, Split and Devil were OK, too). I always look forward to his next movie.
But this one... Damn... This is a whole new level of bad, out of everything I've seen from him. It's beyond amateurish, it's so badly written, the whole concept is so unrealistic and extremely poorly executed, with caricatures passing for characters. Josh Harnett is the only good thing in here, even though the poor guy probably had to work really hard to make his character believable, with the atrocious script he was given.
I have no other option than to consider Trap to be M. Night's absolute worst film to date. Yes, it is that bad. Sigh!
M.Night is a genius how he made the parts about “uncool dad at concert” so cringey, and that does something when you may suddenly realize that you’re rooting for dad to get out of there! Tarantino said something similar about Hitchcock’s Psycho, that you end up rooting for killer to not get caught.
The beginning of the movie is cringey and may be purposely so. And that’s why
All the low score reviews.
The whole point of the movie is the last act. Exploration of person with such mental disorder. The profiler is an old lady, because director wanted it to be serious, and not create a one dimensional boogeyman. I think the lead actor is little too weak for this role. Needed someone like McAvoy in Split.
And in the end it’s compassionate about mental health, M. Night masterfully explores these themes since Split. You may live with a person for years not knowing they had upbringing that made them into dual personality monster. Hoping for future movies on this topic, to explore the good side of these people and find endings that doesn’t involve putting down such character.
it's an average film. i went in expecting silly satirization of fbi catch a killer time and i got what i wanted, but i probably would've hated it if i'd gone in wanting a serious thriller. i'm really glad josh hartnett's acting again; he's solid and i love when he gets to actually play up weirdness in roles like this because he pulls it off. (also here for the absolutely ridiculous excuse to get him shirtless).
saleka's acting is definitely Not Great but she's not an actress and she's playing a musician so... i don't know, her wooden moments kind of kept me in the movie, honestly? they worked for the most part, and she didn't get a lot of lines in the moments where she had to be herself (which i feel like was possibly a creative decision lmao). and tbh fictional musicians almost never pass suspension of disbelief for me (miley cyrus in black mirror comes to mind as an example of when one does) but saleka (if not the sting/setup itself) worked well here. everyone else was good too and the movie made me laugh more than once. i'm just here for movies to entertain me and m. night shyamalan stuff succeeds at that most of the time.
(past here is my word vomit about the way people react to shyamalan in general, u have been warned)
okay first of all, whether you're a hater, a fan, or somewhere in between, i recommend checking out his recent gq video breaking down his best known work. it's a fun ride and i think it'll help people understand him a bit better. as a director and producer, this guy is out here doing whatever he wants whether it works out or not, and that's a great type of person to have in the industry. the fact that he takes risks that don't always pay off makes me like him more because if he didn't, we wouldn't have his best work.
my grandpa emigrated from india and m. night shyamalan's one of the few indian people i ever saw in hollywood in a big way growing up, so to be fair, i have a soft spot for him. but even if i didn't, i'd be a fan. i like how he incorporates his hometown into his body of work, the fact that he does his own original scripts, and the way that people talk about him as a colleague. it matters to me that actors and production crews say they love working with him, no matter if the project they did with him was a hit or a flop. he's a sincere, good person in a place where so many people are garbage and i will gladly watch anything he makes even if it's terrible (and god some of his work HAS been terrible) because he's a good dude who treats people right and has legitimately new ideas. his weakest work, at least to me, has been the handful of adaptations he's done. he feels much more authentic when he's doing his own thing.
also, maybe i'm wrong, but i feel like when people talk about nepotism in relation to his kids, it's a reach. nepotism is about getting an in through your family's name/legacy even if you're a completely talentless hack or trash person. his kids aren't talentless, even if you don't subjectively like them. this movie wasn't a vehicle for saleka's career; she's been active in the music industry since 2020. she's collaborated with her dad and her sister before, and so have other famous people with creative children (see: stephen king and his son). and i haven't seen the watchers yet but based on critical reception, it sounds like ishana did okay for a directorial debut. everyone makes mistakes when they're starting out so that's hardly an indication of nepotism at work. ishana and saleka's involvement in their dad's projects don't make them nepobabies riding on their dad's coattails. it just makes him a dad that's supporting his kids.
Loved it! I was captivated from the start until the end. What a ride! Did not see everything coming and was pleasantly surprised by the ending. It did not suck! Lets for sure agree, we need more Josh Hartnett on the big screen again! Even though not every Shyamalan movie is a banger, I am always looking forward for a new one. Those movies are just different and I appreciate that. This one for sure is one of the better ones with a haunting atmosphere, poppy music and great performances!
tAlso, do we have here another Unbreakable/Split/Glass Spinoff? Copper seems to be uncatchable. I like that!
M. Night Shyamalan usually throws his twist later in the movie but it happens pretty early in this one so it became how was the rest of it going to play out. It was decently entertaining but probably not something I'd willingly watch again.
This is not a good movie :man_facepalming_tone1: having a hard time getting through it.
I haven’t felt that level of anxiety from a movie in ages. It’s pure madness at its finest.
Garbage. That's it. Wasted my time....
Don't know if it's writing, acting or directing at fault, but some scenes are just bad. Can't even explain properly what I mean.
Do yourself a favor and watch this movie
The Trap (2024) - :heart:x7
The concert part was too loud for my old tired ears - lol.
Other than that it was an interesting and imaginative story.
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
stupid fucking movie. completely non sense. stop m. night.
Absolutely full of plot holes since the beginning that make it a comic movie. If you create a film to launch a singer's career, that's what happens.
Definitely expected more....Definitely disappointed. Very anticlimactic and once over, you'll be sitting there asking yourself "what did I just watch"?
Shout by Saint PaulyBlockedParent2024-08-09T22:20:29Z
Like marriage, it started of as a good idea but just kept going downhill until the only thing that keeps it together is doing it for your daughter.
The idea that a Beyonce level star would hold a concert to trap a killer is a lot to bite off, but then it just kept getting harder and harder to swallow.
Watching the credits, however, I realized the entire film was a vanity project to showcase the director's daughter's talents, which is the only thing that ended up making sense about the whole idea.