M. Night went to the Eras Tour and asked himself, "How many dads here are secretly psychopaths?"
M. Night Shyamalan's "Trap" is a wild ride of a thriller that sees Josh Hartnett ditching the heartthrob image for something a little more... sinister. He plays Cooper, a seemingly normal dad taking his daughter to a pop concert (which I'm now convinced is heavily modeled after the Eras Tour).
All seems normal until we discover that Cooper is actually The Butcher, a notorious serial killer. Yep, you read that right. M. Night Shyamalan is not concerned with a giant plot twist; in fact, revealing the identity of the serial killer at the beginning works in his favor.
The premise is as good as it sounds, and the movie leans into the absurdity with gusto. As M. Night is recalled saying during an interview with Jimmy Fallon, the film is like if The Silence of the Lambs had a baby with a Taylor Swift concert, and that baby was raised on a steady diet of Red Bull and plot twists.
But as original as the premise may be, it is inspired by a real life event. In 1985, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department orchestrated "Operation Flagship," an undercover sting operation aimed at arresting felons with outstanding warrants. The police sent invitations to these individuals, claiming they had won tickets to a Washington Redskins game, complete with a celebration at a downtown convention center. Upon arrival, the unsuspecting invitees were greeted by undercover officers posing as event staff and were quietly arrested. The operation was highly successful, resulting in numerous arrests without high-risk confrontations. But the more I learned about the film, the more I realized that M. Night is passionate about merging his own worlds with real life.
Interestingly, the popstar in the film, Lady Raven, is played by Saleka, an American R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She's also M. Night Shyamalan's daughter. While she is making a name for herself in the music industry with her soulful voice and R&B sound, she has also dipped her toes into acting, appearing in some of her father's films. I am thankful to M. Night for setting the precedent of casting a popstar in popstar roles.
When it comes to our main guy, Hartnett is surprisingly committed to the role. He's swapped the brooding intensity for a manic energy that's both terrifying and oddly compelling. It's a performance that’s equal parts chilling and campy, and it's hard to look away. In all honesty, I left the theater in awe of Hartnett's acting. His eyes give Lupita Nyong'o's a run for their money – perhaps the Academy should consider an Oscar for best "eye actor" and just hand it to these two.
But let's be real, this isn't horror. The scariest part about it is the premise, which makes you wonder if you've ever been in the presence of a serial killer in a public place, like a concert. Still, there's something undeniably entertaining about watching it all unfold. It's the kind of movie you want to watch at the theater, and then rewatch at home with your best friend and a lot of yapping.
"Trap" is a guilty pleasure, a movie that whispers "Cinema is back!" and knows exactly what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything more. It's not going to win any awards, but it's definitely a memorable experience. And hey, if nothing else, it's given us a whole new appreciation for Josh Hartnett's acting range – I guess Hollywood still refuses to pick ugly actors to play psychopaths.
M. Night Shyamalan's "Trap" is now in theaters nationwide.
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