Trap

by Mike McGranaghan

M. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller Trap was clearly intended to be reminiscent of the great Alfred Hitchcock films. It strains plausibility more than a few times, and certain moments are shamelessly manipulated to achieve a desired effect. But Hitch did the exact same thing. North by Northwest ends with Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint dangling from Mount Rushmore, after all. Suspension of disbelief is often necessary for thrillers. I suspended mine for Trap just as I did for North by Northwest, and although this new movie isn’t going to become an all-time classic, it’s still great fun.

Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett) is trying to be a good dad to his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue). Because she got phenomenal grades on her report card, he has secured tickets to see her favorite musical artist, a Taylor Swift-like pop singer named Lady Raven (Saleka Shayamalan), live in concert. While there, he learns that law enforcement is using this concert as a trap to catch a serial killer known as “the Butcher” who they believe will be in attendance. The catch is that Cooper is the Butcher. He spends the duration of the show trying to figure out a way to escape without being apprehended.

The movie has a ball with that idea. Cooper comes up with clever ways to move around unauthorized parts of the stadium, and the screenplay devises equally clever ways to have each of his efforts hit a roadblock. Whenever you think he’s on the verge of getting away, an unforeseen obstacle pops up to keep him stuck. Lady Raven’s concert continues amid this drama, her songs serving as a soundtrack.

Hartnett is in full “goofy dad” mode here. His performance, like the film itself, is tinged with humor. The actor goes slightly over-the-top, making Cooper’s interactions with Riley oddly endearing without letting us forget that he’s a psychopath underneath. That dichotomy was probably difficult to portray. Hartnett finds the exact right note, marking this as one of his best performances – playful and scary at the same time.

After the first hour, Trap moves outside the arena. What happens is, in some ways, even more tense. Lady Raven becomes a bigger player at the halfway point, and there are several well-conceived interactions between her and Cooper that bring new layers to the suspense. A similar thing happens with the introduction of Cooper’s wife Rachel (the excellent Allison Pill). At first, her character seems like a throwaway, only to be provided with an interesting function within the story. Many of Shyamalan’s movies rely on a game-changing twist toward the end. No such twist exists this time, although there is a plot development involving Rachel that supplies an emotional quality.

Is any of this realistic? No, not particularly. And, frankly, it doesn’t matter. The premise is cool and Shyamalan gets a lot of mileage from it. There’s an enjoyable supporting performance from Hayley Mills – not so coincidentally the star of the original The Parent Trap - as an FBI profiler. The cinematography captures the frenzy at a packed concert, nicely making the setting a character unto itself. These and other pleasures carry you over the bits that strain logic.

Trap represents M. Night Shyamalan in a lighter than normal mode. He’s seeking to make a thriller that gives an exuberant ride to any viewer who’s willing to buy into his concept. If you can do that – and I totally did – the film delivers big-time entertainment.

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