A fairly entertaining thriller aided by an audience adopting a healthy suspension of disbelief
The latest from divisive director M. Night Shyamalan sees loving father Cooper and his daughter Riley attending a concert that is secretly a trap set up by the FBI to catch a serial killer on the loose. The twist: Cooper is the man they’re after.
This is a genius concept for a thriller, as our unusual protagonist is thrust into a stressful situation and he must now try to figure his way out. Josh Hartnett carries this film as the serial killer in hot water. He must play both the loveable, goofy dad and the bloodthirsty psychopath, and while the former can come across as awkward, the latter reveals this as his attempt at feigning normality. It is just entertaining to see this guy work on the fly and discover more and more opportunities to escape as they come, even if you have to let a few things like logic, convenience and realism fall by the wayside.
Hartnett gets a lot to play with when it comes to the dialogue, which can come across as stilted but works for a serial killer feigning normality. Where the awkward dialogue doesn’t work, however, is for all the other characters who do not act like normal people. What’s more, the film overstays its welcome. If it had ended two or three sequences earlier, this could’ve been a tight, certainly imperfect, but sufficient thriller, but it goes on past its concert setting and begins answering questions the audience weren’t asking.
Its numerous flaws aside, Trap is a fairly entertaining thriller. A lot of suspension of disbelief is required of the audience, but a fun premise and an engaging performance by Hartnett make this good, campy fun.
Rating: 6/10
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