Trap (2024)

I quite enjoyed Trap, but while it has some tense moments, it is one of those thrillers that didn’t go anywhere near the potential it could have. The story is about a father, Cooper (played by Josh Hartnett), and his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), who attend a big indoor concert. If you’ve seen the trailers, you’ll know that Cooper is a serial killer who the police have been trying to catch for some time. His daughter has no knowledge of her dad’s “other” existence. Soon after the concert is underway, Cooper discovers that it has been set up by law enforcement to catch him. What follows is a tense cat-and-mouse game as Cooper tries to hide his identity from Riley while the police close in.

There is no doubt that some parts of the movie are quite tense and suspenseful. But this is not always the case, with some parts dragging a bit. Hartnett provides a compelling performance as Cooper, and Donoghue, as the daughter, comes across as believable as she interacts with her dad.

There are some clever plot twists, but quite frequently, some of those twists rely on contrived circumstances or unbelievable good luck. And it’s pretty predictable how it’s going to turn out. In some ways, the last act is the best part of the film. I won’t tell you anymore about that so I will avoid spoilers!

It’s worth mentioning the concert, which provides the backdrop to the story and is present for the majority of the movie. It was an actual concert that was designed and performed especially for Trap. M Night Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka, plays the performer, Lady Raven. All the songs were written for the concert and sung by Saleka. I wasn’t overly impressed by the music or singing at the concert. It seemed quite bland to me. Given the dark subject of the film, I thought the music needed to be more edgy and dark. But maybe the music reflects contemporary pop music. But given that the concert was so central to the film, I would have liked it to be more innovative and engaging.

There are some interesting questions raised by Trap about morality and how far people will go to protect their loved ones. There are also issues about paranoia and how trust in public spaces is eroded. And it’s also worth thinking about the nature of evil and the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator. The problem is that the movie doesn’t significantly explore these themes. In fact, Trap seems to remain at the level of entertainment and pretty much ignores exploring these themes altogether.

Trap is, at its best, a solid thriller that delivers an adequate amount of suspense and entertainment. It is definitely not groundbreaking and its predictable ending, uneven pacing, and relatively loose narrative make it a lot less than it could have been. If you’d be happy with a bit of a thrill, suspense, and an okay story, give it a go. Just don’t expect anything profound.