Trap (2024) Review – A Cringe-Inducing Case Of Shyamalan Nepotism

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are checking out the most recent movie from director M. Night Shyamalan –Trap (2024).

More Shyamalan shenanigans

The story follows a sting operation set up to catch a serial killer. A vicious murderer is on the loose and, apparently, the only way to lure him in is with a pop concert that the police are sure his daughter won’t want to miss. Sounds elaborate and ridiculous? That’s because it is. In traditional Shyamalan form, the plot is unbelievable, convoluted, and ultimately unnecessary.

It’s not that I dislike Shyamalan’s schtick. In fact, I really enjoyed The Village and always find most of his stuff to be, at the very least, quite watchable. Well, with the exception of a few titles (looking at you, The Happening). But they are just so silly, what with all the twists and bullshit.

“In traditional Shyamalan form, the plot is unbelievable, convoluted, and ultimately unnecessary.”

It seems like he has been trying to dial it back a little in the past few years. His titles now just tend to be straightforward and to the point. Trap is no exception. This is a fairly formulaic thriller that gives away its entire plot in the trailer and is devoid of twists and turns.

Are we making some progress? Nope!

If that last statement leads you to believe that Shyamalan can just focus on the good stuff now, and produce a competent movie, you may be disappointed. Trap is a bit of a mess. Sure, it’s fairly watchable and the brilliant performance of Josh Hartnett lifts it way above its station. But it is almost impossible to shake the feeling that you are watching little more than a launching platform for his daughter’s music career.

After the release of The Watchers (we reviewed it and thought it was okay), it has become eminently clear that Shyamalan will do whatever it takes to propel his kids to the height of fame. Like a soldier sacrificing himself to save the rest of his platoon, Shyamalan will dilute his already flavourless movies to make sure that his daughter, Saleka Shyamalan, is the centre of attention.

The problem there is that it is impossible not to notice how awkward the whole thing feels. The bulk of the movie takes place inside of an arena to the backdrop of Saleka slinking around on stage and crooning out some, ultimately, unmemorable and rather generic pop music. Most of the shots either feature her singing, Hartnett running around, or audience members desperately trying to mime the words to songs they know none of the lyrics for.

“It is almost impossible to shake the feeling that you are watching little more than a launching platform for his daughter’s music career.”

Saleka isn’t all that good and would, likely, be kicked out pretty early in the audition stage of American Idol. But her father is famous so we must all endure her as if she is the second coming of Britney Spears. She isn’t all that as an actor, either, which makes some of the later stages of the movie even more awkward.

It’s just really messy

Still, nepotism gonna nepotism and all. Half of Hollywood was connected to someone in the “biz” before fame so what can you expect? The real problem is that the movie just isn’t all that good. It feels like half of the material was left lying on the cutting-room floor.

Tension is minimal due to drawn-out and repetitious sequences that offer few thrills and no excitement. Awkward cuts make it seem as though the characters spend more time walking through the arena halls than watching the performance. And extras stroll around like pre-programmed brainless zombies in a dazzling case of poor direction.

“The issues are massively compounded by myriad plot holes, leading you to question every single moment.”

It just feels cheap and the typically solid parts of Shyamalan’s productions are just not there. It doesn’t help that the movie is woefully predictable. If this is the type of thing he is going to put out, then I think we are all going to be wishing he would go back to the twist-heavy bullshit of yesteryear. Trap simply feels lazy. The issues are massively compounded by myriad plot holes, as well, leading you to question every single moment.

On the plus side, Josh Hartnett is fantastic. His charismatic performance almost makes the movie worth a watch and definitely makes me interested in a sequel. The thrills are minor and the adult content almost non-existent, so there is a good chance casual fans of movies may really enjoy it and teens will probably get a kick out of it too. The whole movie feels, very much, like it is aimed at a teen audience. It is very simplistic, a bit cheesy, and rather cringe in a way that only teenagers will not notice.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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