M. Night Shyamalan burst onto the filmmaking scene in 1999 with his tense and surprising hit, The Sixth Sense. The film garnered critical acclaim, earning him a Best Director nomination at that year’s Oscars. His subsequent films also received positive reviews, establishing him as the hot new filmmaker to watch. Known for his iconic twist endings, Shyamalan never failed to truly shock and surprise audiences. 

 

However, his reputation began to decline in 2006 with the release of Lady in the Water. The low point of his career came in 2010 when he directed the live-action adaptation of The Last Airbender, which holds an abysmal 5% on Rotten Tomatoes and is frequently listed among the worst films ever made. He continued to struggle in the early 2010s, and although he achieved some success with films like Split and Glass, he has never fully regained his once-illustrious reputation. 

 

His previous two directorial efforts, 2021’s Old and 2023’s A Knock at the Cabin, marked a return to form, embracing the thriller genre he was well-regarded for in the early 2000s. He continues this trend with his latest release, Trap, starring early 2000s star Josh Hartnett, who makes a comeback after a hiatus from his acting career. Although this thriller concept offers a promising return to form for both the director and the star, Shyamalan once again struggles with some of his most glaring flaws. Despite being adequately directed from a technical standpoint, Shyamalan fails to elicit compelling performances from his actors. Most critically, his self-penned script is filled with clunky and unnatural dialogue that comes off as more humorous than believable.

 

Cooper (Hartnett) is a caring father taking his tween daughter to a pop star’s concert. Noticing an unusually large police presence at the venue, he inquires with an employee and learns that the police were tipped off about a notorious serial killer nicknamed “The Butcher” attending the concert. Realizing he is the killer they’re after, Cooper finds himself trapped. Desperate to escape without getting caught, he devises increasingly creative and extreme methods to flee. 

 

The concept is certainly thrilling, and M. Night Shyamalan knows how to direct a good thriller. However, his choice to direct his own script ultimately becomes the film’s biggest flaw. The dialogue is incredibly awkward and often sounds unnatural. Many scenes feel viscerally uncomfortable, akin to middle schoolers reading out loud in class. Beyond the awkward phrasing, Shyamalan struggles to create escalating events that raise the stakes and tension. Each escape attempt is mundane and surface-level, far below what one would expect from a cunning serial killer. 

 

The escape only occupies about half of the film’s runtime, leaving the audience to wonder how the remaining time will sustain its tension. Unfortunately, each action Cooper takes becomes increasingly unbelievable, drawing more attention and suspicion to himself. By the end, I was left frustrated by the sheer incompetence of those around him that allowed him to evade capture.

 

Because of the awkward dialogue, the acting suffers significantly as well. Hartnett tries his best to portray an unhinged killer masking his nature with compassion and empathy, but too often he comes off as cartoonish in scenes that should be shocking. The surrounding characters he interacts with suffer the same fate, reminiscent of an acting class working on a scene together—passable but ultimately uncomfortable, unnatural, and lacking chemistry.

 

Shyamalan cast his daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan, in a significant role as the pop star at the concert Cooper and his daughter are attending. Known mononymously as Saleka in the music industry, she delivers impressive vocals throughout the film, enjoyable enough for today’s Top 40 radio stations. However, M. Night fails his family with this choice, as Saleka's lack of acting experience shows, rendering her performance bland and unconvincing.

 

Hartnett manages to recoup some of his acting prowess in the film's final act, delivering a heartfelt and moving monologue alongside Allison Pill, who provides a devastating performance. However, by this point, all goodwill from the audience has dissipated, and there were frequent laughs from viewers who found the entire situation laughable. Surprisingly, the most consistent and impressive performance comes from Ariel Donoghue as Cooper’s daughter Riley. Her unwavering naivete fits perfectly with the absurd situations Cooper puts her through, making her the most natural actor in the film.

 

I wish I had entered this film with significantly lower expectations, and given that it's an M. Night Shyamalan production, I should have known better. Earlier this year, I managed to have fun with Madame Web, giving it a positive review despite its overall panning by critics. However, I was misled by trailers that overly compensated for the film's general quality. Trap may pose as a thrilling cat-and-mouse escape film, but its predictability leaves little to no excitement for audiences in theaters.