Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
Content warning: this article contains spoilers and mentions of violence and suicide
M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent theatrical release, “Trap,” has hit the streaming service Max. The movie follows Cooper Abbott, played by Josh Hartnett, as he and his daughter attend a Lady Raven concert, where it is revealed they are at the center of a dark and sinister plot.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation — FBI — has set up agents, SWAT team members and police officers throughout and around the concert venue and are set on one task: to find the serial killer nicknamed “The Butcher.”
Viewers come to find out that Abbott is who they are searching for and throughout the film, he constantly outsmarts and outmaneuvers the FBI agents and their profiler, Dr. Josephine Grant.
One of the most pivotal scenes in the movie is when Lady Raven, played by Shyamalan’s daughter Saleka, is trapped in the Abbotts’ bathroom and reveals to the family that their patriarch is The Butcher. She then uses an Instagram livestream to urge her followers to find and free Abbott’s next victim. When chosen as his newest victim, Lady Raven manages to outsmart and escape him, even while Abbott continues to stay one step ahead of the FBI.
At the climax of the film, Abbott returns home, planning on staging a murder-suicide after figuring out it was his wife, Rachel, who had reported him to the police in the first place. What he doesn’t know is that Rachel has gotten ahold of his bag and drugs him using his supplies. When the FBI and SWAT team arrive, Cooper is already hallucinating, seeing the specter of his mother. He is ultimately taken into custody, but the movie concludes with him using the spoke of a bike wheel to unlock his cuffs.
The film is a true thriller, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Shyamalan is best known for his plot twists, like in his movie “The Sixth Sense,” and heavily utilizes them in “Trap.”
The film is also based on the true story of Operation Flagship.
In 1985, the US Marshals Service sent invitations to 3,000 fugitives — with over 5,000 outstanding warrants between them all — in Washington, D.C., under the guise that they had won tickets to a Washington Redskins football game. That day, 101 fugitives attended and were arrested on the spot. “Trap” follows that sting operation, with the concert being used to find and arrest The Butcher.
While the movie’s plot is well-written and easy to follow, it is also extremely anxiety-inducing. Hartnett’s portrayal of a level-headed killer is convincing to the point where viewers will feel as if they are caught in the trap with Cooper Abbott.
My recommendation: if one has a history of post-traumatic stress disorder or may be sensitive to violence, do not watch this film. While the film itself is well done, Hartnett’s chilling portrayal of Abbott may be triggering. Viewer discretion is advised.
10/10.
Contact the author at howlentertainment@mail.wou.edu
