My ★★★★½ review of Trap

“Pure entertainment.”

In Trap, M. Night Shyamalan focuses on his directorial and writing quirks to create one of his more entertaining movies. I enjoy his love for a dynamic or well-placed camera. I also like how dedicated he is to story structure. I appreciate how he artfully writes dialogue sounds to propel the movie around it. In Unbreakable, it’s a thematic sad affectation that furthers the dramatic feel of the film. In Knock at the Cabin, it’s due to the characters' excessive fear that raises the movie's tension. Trap continuously raises tension while making room for Shyamalan’s typical quirks and humor, resulting in pure entertainment. I loved it.

Trap admirably approaches its premise in every way it can. Luckily, the trailer hides much of the movie's plot. It was so much so that it immediately brought me back to watching Unbreakable, and I had no clue what would happen next. In this movie, several mini-twists reveal themselves at any moment instead of one big twist (still there, don’t worry). The cinematography tends to keep people hostage in the center of the frame. At any point, the next shot onscreen could radically shift Josh Hartnett’s character’s demeanor. It created a tremendous amount of tension, partly held together by the strength of the performances.

Hartnett’s Cooper and his daughter, played by Ariel Donoghue, are dedicated to their lines and performances. They feel very believable in their action and uniquely feel as close as the movie intends to depict. There were so many tour scenes with them together that felt so realistic that this could’ve been a real tour documentary. Saleka Shyamalan is the third lead and a great Shyamalan performer. She reads her lines specifically, emotes several ways over a few minutes, and has a great screen presence. Her involvement might soon be divisive, but she was a highlight for me.

There is inconsistency in the amount of realism presented. Some scenes feel very serious in the emotional beats they want to hit and dialogue. Some are peculiar in a funny way, while some are annoying. However, in a way, they’re all simply characters in a horror movie, which makes them very oblivious to everything. I wouldn't usually be irritated by this aspect, but you’ll see it when you watch it. Some people in this movie act stupid. I won't say I wasn’t still laughing at the stupidity, but it was there.

Overall, this is probably one of my favorite Shyamalan movies. I loved the performances and how crafty the writing was. There are many moments that I found interesting in how they were structured. I also loved how stunning the cinematography was. There’s so much more I want to say about it, but it would all be things I don’t want to spoil. You should go watch Trap! And nothing else this weekend