TRAP

US, 2024, 105 minutes, Colour.

Josh Hartnett, Arielle Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Alison Pill, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Langdon, Scott Mescudi.

Directed by M.Night Shyamalan.

It is 25 years since-director, M. Night Shyamalan tantalised audiences with his excellent thriller, The Sixth Sense. He has been making films consistently during the quarter of a century, some highly praised, some considered less so, but an interesting career. Often there is something of a “supernatural” aura in the tale. However, Trap is more down-to-earth, a police investigation, something of a portrait of a serial killer.

The director, Indian background, grew up in Philadelphia which is the background of most of his films. This time it is a very popular concert, in the Taylor Swift vein, crowds of youngsters, especially girls, excited fans, singing and swaying along, rapt. One of the girls is Riley (Ariel Donoghue) accompanied by her beaming father, Cooper (Josh Hartnett). The singer is played by one of the director’s daughters, Saleka, who wrote and performs the songs. Quite lavish productions.

What emerges is that the concert, an extra performance because the previous concerts were sold out, is actually a trap set up to capture the serial killer, The Butcher, profiled by an expert (a surprise performance and presence by Hayley Mills), the police in abundance in attendance at the concert, every door guarded intercepting every man present.

Very soon into the film, so not much of a spoiler, especially because of the trailer and reviews, we first see it in his eyes that Cooper is the killer. On the one hand, he has a devoted wife, children, home life, career as a fireman. On the other, he is haunted by memories and imaginations of his punishing mother. And we soon see that he has a victim trapped in the basement, ready to kill him.

On the one hand, we are disgusted at The Butcher’s murders. On the other hand, we become very involved with Cooper, the first half of the film quite ingenious in the ways that Cooper can head off the police, get information, steal passes, the police communication, and, surprisingly, with the aid of a cameo appearance by the director, get himself and his daughter involved with the singer. We are fascinated – will he escape the trap?

While the concert is the trap, the second half of the film is the singer’s attempt to turn the tables on him, cat and mouse tactics, his threatening to kill his victim, controlling the silence of the singer. And, there is his very nice family at home, something of domestic bliss.

As with the director’s other films, there are a few more unexpected twists, the confronting his wife, the threats to her, the role of the singer, and the unexpected image twist in the final moments.

Some of the bloggers are determined to pick holes in the plot and judge accordingly. But, for the director’s fans and anyone else who happens on Trap, it is an intriguingly entertaining thriller – and with those twists.

1. The title? The concert is a trap, elaborate and extensive? Cooper trapped? Means of escape?
2. The Philadelphia setting, the city and views, the streets, the theatre, interiors, vast, the concert, backstage? The contrast with home sequences, street sequences? The musical score, the range of songs, the young audience singing along, rapt?
3. The plausibility of the plot, the background of the serial killer, crimes, clues, information about the ticket, indications of The Butcher, the plan for the concert, Lady Raven agreeing, the range of police, the elderly profiler, the trap?
4. The introduction to Cooper, genial, taking Riley to the concert, enjoying it with her? Her age, clashes with Jody at school, the clashes with Jody’s mother? The revelation that he was the killer, the audience watching him, identifying with his plans for escape, toilet breaks, the T-shirt sales, the discussions with Jamie, information, his taking his pass, testing it out on doors, continued back and forth in the concert, on the roof, after causing the explosion and the injury to the cook, his plausible explanation of his fears? The opportunity with the manager, his sad story of Riley and leukaemia, their being taken backstage, Riley going on stage, the joy, singing and dancing with Lady Raven, and the scene of Jody’s jealousy and anger with her mother? The collapse of the young girl, Cooper carrying her, ingratiating himself, the dilemma of the check at the backstage door? His going to Lady Raven, confronting her, forcing her to take them in her limousine, his escape?
5. The profiler, her plan, her presence, the glimpses of her communicating, strategies?
6. Cooper and Riley in the limousine, and Lady Raven turning the tables, asking him to go home, in the house, at the piano? Cooper and his phone, Spencer in the basement, the click to release the carbon monoxide? Lady Raven’s dilemma? Her capitalising on the situation? Her denouncing Cooper, taking refuge, the phone calls to the police, to Spencer, her many fans, the message, their taking action, finding the house, the statue of the broken line, the blue door? Saving Spencer? The police coming?
7. The family reaction, the police, the profiler, the Taser on Cooper, his being taken? The comment about his OCD, tidying things, the bike in the yard and making it upright – and his ingenuity in taking the strand which would later free his cups?
8. The driver of the police, Lady Raven, her escape, with the fans? The crowds, the police driver, the attack on the police car, the irony of the jacket on the helmet and Cooper’s escape?
9. The return home, the confrontation with his wife, alone, making the tea, the gradual revelation of his double life, his wife thinking is having an affair, the discovery of the ticket, sending it, the setup so that he would be caught? Is confronting his wife? The police and the rescue?
10. In the police car, getting his cups loose, the close-up of his smiling face? To be continued, perhaps?
11. And the amusing credit sequence of Jamie and his discovering who The Butcher was?