M. Night Shyamalan – creator behind hits such as The Sixth Sense and Signs – has left critics unimpressed with his latest mystery-thriller, Trap.
The film stars Josh Hartnett as seemingly average dad Cooper who takes his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert for pop icon Lady Raven (played by Shyamalan’s daughter Saleka).
But when Cooper discovers the whole event is a police trap for a serial killer known as the Butcher the audience soon realises he may very well be at the centre of it all.
There has been plenty of anticipation for the film – which also features rapper Kid Cudi – but fans could be left disappointed as critics’ reviews pour in.
The psychological thriller debuted with a poor showing of only 46% on film rating site Rotten Tomatoes, which is Shyamalan’s worst result in half a decade when he scored 37% for Split’s 2019 sequel, Glass.
One review from Variety reads: ‘Asking an audience to go with something this fundamentally farfetched borders on an insult. More to the point: It’s not fun.’
For a director known for his trademark mid-plot twists and turns, Collider said: ‘At this point in his career, Shyamalan’s biggest twist is his inability to utilize the tools that once made him such a promising filmmaker.’
The reviewer added that the storyline ‘falters with silly decisions and laughable moments that negate the tension he’s finally building up.’
There has been particular criticism of the script with video reviewer DrumDums calling it ‘lazy to bad writing’ and fellow YouTube critic Fish Jelly Film Reviews adding it is ‘a ridiculous script that’s hard to take seriously’.
Not all of the feedback has been catastrophic, however, with a few turning their praise to 46-year-old Hollywood star Josh who recently appeared inOscar-winning hit Oppenheimer and is well known for projects such as 2001’s Pearl Harbour.
‘We keep wanting Shyamalan to somehow give us The Sixth Sense or Signs again. Trap is not either of those. This is a popcorn movie, with a surprising turn from an underrated star. And ultimately, it’s a pretty fun time at the theater,’ Associated Press reflected.
Meanwhile, Punch Drunk Critics added that Josh’s acting ‘nearly saves’ the whole film, writing: ‘…other than Hartnett’s twisted performance and a wicked final act, it’s too unfocused and clumsy to hit the high standards that Shyamalan has set recently.’
Of course, for those looking for a reliable cinema-going experience, there is still hope with Daily Beast concluding the film hits ‘more right notes than wrong’.
And DiscussingFilm goes as far as to call it ‘one-of-a-kind character study that sees writer-director M. Night Shyamalan mastering his craft all over again.’
In a new interview with the Atlantic, the 53-year-old filmmaker explained how he drew on his own worries around fatherhood to inform Cooper’s characterand the plot.
‘That something could happen to the family unit is the primary fear. It’s the thing that’s most sacred,’ he said.
Elsewhere, in a discussion with The Playlist, he expanded on the initial inspiration behind the idea which originally came from conversations with his daughter about music.
He continued: ‘[I felt] that she’s one of the rare people who could write an album for a narrative., not like when inspiration strikes you, but intentionally.
‘Like “Can you write a fictional character and write this many songs for it in a timetable?” And we can make a narrative around it. And then I said, “What about a thriller with music?” And so it just evolved from that into the movie [you see].’
Trap comes out in UK cinemas on August 9.