M Night Shyamalan’s most recent film, Trap, released on August 2, isn’t a masterpiece. But it’s not terrible either.

Trap takes place in Philadelphia, where a concert by the fictitious Lady Raven is being held. Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett) takes his daughter, Riley Adams (Ariel Donoghue) to the venue, only to discover that the stadium is fully surrounded by police and other authorities. It is revealed that the concert has been transformed into a trap with the intent to capture “The Butcher,” a serial killer. We then learn the truth about Cooper’s identity: He is the Butcher, and he now must find a way out of the venue or face immediate justice.

Impressions:

The plot for this movie seems pretty straightforward, but somehow manages to be overly convoluted. There are many moments throughout the film’s 105 minute runtime where it feels as though Shyamalan is unsure of where he wants to direct his story. Multiple plot points are brought up and never spoken of again, with many interactions between characters implying future conflicts that never see resolution. Quite simply, the movie just meanders for most of its runtime. However, when the stars aligned and the movie managed to capture a focus, I found it to be engaging. This is especially true with the final moments of the film, where it truly gets a grip on what kind of story it wants to tell. Even then, however, the film finds itself a new fatal flaw: a lack of believability. Where in the beginning Cooper utilizes his surroundings to avoid discovery in a believable way, scenes towards the end of the film are reliant on luck to a nauseating degree. It feels as though the concept was better suited to a short film rather than a standard length movie.

Another interesting aspect of the film is a significant departure from one of Shyamalan’s signature story elements, and, avoiding spoilers, this absence feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Most of the acting is solid, with Josh Hartnett’s portrayal of a psychopath legitimately chilling at times, while the supporting cast all deliver solid performances as well. Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan, makes her film debut as the aforementioned Lady Raven. A musician, Saleka composed several original works to be performed during the “concert,” most of which were enjoyable and moody backdrops to the film’s various narrative beats.

Was it worth watching?

Despite its issues, Trap manages to be an enjoyable watch. The premise of the movie is original, captivating, and tense, but unfortunately suffers from a lack of direction and fails to innovate further upon the thriller genre. Despite this, I found myself sufficiently engaged throughout—and ultimately walked away satisfied with the film. While nothing groundbreaking, Trap is a decent film with solid acting and intense sequences, despite a tendency to get trapped in its own convoluted plot.