Trap

Written and directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

Riley (Ariel Donoghue) is excited because her dad, Cooper (Josh Hartnett), has got her tickets to a special gig by Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). As they take there seats it becomes clear to Cooper that all is not what it seems and he’s right. The show is a front for an F.B.I sting operation, headed by profiler Dr Grant (Hayley Mills), to capture a serial killer, The Butcher. That’s a problem for Cooper, and he needs to find a way for them both to get out while avoiding any questions by the law enforcement that’s blocked every exit.

In a recent interview M. Night Shyamalan discussed the premise of Trap. Taking the well trodden killer manhunt film and telling it from the view of the hunted, rather than the hunter.

What this premise gives us is half a good film. Taking the view of the killer, hunted, trapped and desperately searching for an out. But as the story progresses it becomes a problem, as increasingly contrived escape options become open to him and the story becomes more predictable and clunky. The concert itself is really well created, from Riley’s ecstatic reaction, to the convincing nature of Lady Raven’s performance. Although she does seem to have a fan base more interested in the concourse than the concert!

There are some fine performances. Hartnett does a great job in the central role as a caring father, with a very dark side. Ariel Donoghue is thoroughly convincing as an excited girl at a dream concert. Saleka Night Shyamalan works as Lady Raven and a final act turn from Alison Pill is the best part of an overly stretched finale. Although Hayley Mills feels out of place and providing the occasional exposition heavy, clunky, Walkie Talkie voice over.

Trap is an interesting twist on the manhunt film, told from the view of the hunted. It has a couple of convincing central performances. But, as it goes on it falters and the story becomes more unbelievable, with a finale that never seems to end! A promising premise that becomes clunky, predictable and doesn’t deliver on early promise.