Trap

I'm a sucker for M. Night and being a fan can be challenging but I'll always give him a shot. This was bad. Not in a campy way but this hurt to watch. Josh Hartnett worked with what he had but this so bad. It went nowhere. A sad nepotism project at best sad to say the music was laughable as was the acting. The songs were endless and so was the build up (?) Wait for it to stream and then ignore it. I had second hand embarrassment watching the cringe inducing concert felt like I was trapped not in a good way. The writing was juvenile and lazy. People actually started laughing in the movie theater. This had a Hallmark network quality to it and that's an insult to them. The concept had potential but it felt like AI wrote this. M. Night had to have put his own money up to get this greenlit. This was just absurd.

"Trap" (2024) generated great expectations since the release of its trailer, which presented a relatively new and thought-provoking premise, in addition to being directed by M. Night Shyamalan. However, despite the initial potential, several wrong decisions compromised the final result of the work.

The absence of graphic violence reduces the impact of the film, generating few scenes of true tension. The script relies on several conveniences, making the protagonist seem more "lucky" than strategist. Furthermore, the superficial development of the serial killer makes his arc not very engaging, which negatively affects the construction of the character. The twist in the third act is not surprising and seems unnecessary, wasting the opportunity for a remarkable outcome, something expected in the director's films. On the other hand, the soundtrack and its theme is a strong point, differentiating itself from other productions of the genre and adding value to the narrative.

Although technically well produced, the film has flaws that undermine the impact of the proposal. "Trap" ends up becoming another generic psychological horror film, despite its interesting musical theme.

Remember - trailers are a separate work of art. We're being sold something that makes money, not something we'll end up seeing in the movie. Trap is a perfect example of this case. Presented as a suspenseful thriller about a game of cat and mouse, the movie turns out to be a completely featureless attempt to play on the audience's expectations. There is no intrigue, no suspense, for everything is read ahead. You are waiting to be surprised. Waiting, and waiting ... and waiting. Nothing happens. Everyone is moving, song keep coming, and yet ... no impact at all, no stakes, no WOW moments.

You just can't believe how dull the story is, which is holded solely on Josh's charisma. He is an extremely good in this movie, some of the acting choices are brilliant. Without him, it would be impossible to watch this nonsense. In the end, all the action leads nowhere - the finale is devoid of conclusions, twists or drama. There is literally no ending! It's as if the entire hour and a half went nowhere. One of the major disappointments of the year.

I get it. Someone will disagree with my take. But trust me, I wanted to be excited. Was waiting for this movie with some excitement, went to see it Opening Night. Extremely disappointed. Oh, one more thing - STOP portraying special forces like they are some incompetent children with no logic. Sometimes they do make mistakes, but Jesus, they are super dumb in first half of the movie, it's almost pure comedy.

I feel like the idea of directing a concert and a plot inside a concert took over everything else. It starts off quite well and all props to Josh Hartnett but at the end of it all, it's nothing that stands out, nothing at all. The charm, creativity and the out of the box cocncepts and even the eerie settings of his movies are all but missing in this movie.

If you're a fan of his old work like the Signs, Village, Unbreakable, Sixth Sense or even The Visit and The Happening and are fond of his art then TRAP is a complete pivot from his work.

It was also kind of annoying at how they made the cops and the FBI look and think like 4th graders trying to catch a criminal.

Missed opportunity, for us!

Starts off well, but then it becomes increasingly dull and boring. The dialogue between the father and the daughter is unrealistic almost cringe worthy, the acting is mediocre for majority of the movie (it did seem to get better towards the end). Expected so much more from M Night. I would avoid this one :(. The main character barely has a backstory, the movie would have been so much better if they had explored that aspect of the story a little more. There was one decent twist, but other than that, it was just very dull. You would be better off watching this when it becomes available on streaming platforms.