Summary
- M. Night Shyamalan's Trap is being hailed as a return to form for the director, with critics praising the suspense and performances.
- Josh Hartnett shines in Trap, bringing humanity to a dark character in this thrilling film.
- Trap will be released on August 2, 2024.
The first reactions to M. Night Shyamalan's Trap have arrived. The psychological thriller sees Cooper (Josh Hartnett) taking his daughter to the concert of a pop star, Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan), only to realize that the concert is an elaborate trap that the authorities have put in place to catch him. The authorities are pursuing Cooper in the 2024 thriller film because he is a serial killer known as the Butcher, but Cooper will have to outmaneuver them before it is too late.
On X, those who saw early screenings of Trap have shared their reactions, with there being an overall positive reception to Shyamalan's newest film. Check out their reactions below:
@Physical Media triumphantly declares that "Old M. Night Shyamalan is back," comparing Trap to the director's most critically acclaimed work.
Screen Rant's @JoeDeckelmeier says that Trap "gives a masterclass in building suspense" and that "Josh Hartnett is captivating and brings so much humanity to a dark character."
@HollywoodHandle praises Trap as a "fun thriller that's a return to form for M. Night Shyamalan!" and applauds the film for "blending the tones of the Halloween movies and the Hitman games."
@guywithamoviecamera argues that Trap is Shyamalan's best film "since The Village," which was released in 2004, making this the director's best work in two decades.
@theatomreview appreciates "The way everything builds to the finale, the tension… truly chef’s kiss filmmaking" and describes Trap as "career-defining greatness" for Shyamalan.
@Nick_Newman is not quite as impressed, but still thinks it is Shyalaman's best movie since The Village and makes an analogy to the song "Somewhat Damaged" that is meant to be a compliment.
@EDouglasWW had a more lukewarm reaction to Trap, although admitted that "Josh Hartnett gives a goofy performance that I preferred to Cage in Longlegs," a significant achievement given Longlegs' mostly positive reception.
Trap Could Be M. Night Shyamalan's Best-Received Movie Since 2016
Shyamalan Has Had Several Poorly-Received Films In Recent Years
Trap may not only become the director's most highly regarded work since 2016 but potentially his best in decades.
As many early viewers indicated, Shyamalan's movies have struggled to resonate with critics and general audiences in recent years. Since 2016, Split, starring James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, and Knock at the Cabin, starring Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff, are his only films to receive fresh critical and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Glass, Old, and The Watchers, the last of which Shyamalan only produced and did not direct, all received rotten critical scores.
Movie | Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
Split (2016) | 78% | 79% |
Glass (2019) | 37% | 66% |
Old (2021) | 50% | 53% |
Knock at the Cabin (2023) | 67% | 63% |
The Watchers (2024) | 32% | 52% |
Based on the early reactions to Trap, it will likely be Shyamalan's best-received film since Split. Much like Trap, which is being praised for direction and for one of Hartnett's career-best performances, the largely positive response to Split was rooted in Shyamalan's filmmaking skills and in the impressive performances of McAvoy and Taylor-Joy. Shyamalan's daughter is another highlight of Trap as she is a real-life singer-songwriter and actor, making her a perfect fit for the film's central pop star.
Related
Trap: 8 Biggest Theories About M. Night Shyamalan's Upcoming Killer Twist
Since Trap's trailer suggests that the movie will feature a Shyamalan-esque twist, many have come up with plausible theories about what it could be.
With some of the reactions claiming that it is Shyamalan's best film since The Village, which was released 13 years before Split, Trap may not only become the director's most highly regarded work since 2016 but potentially his best in decades and throughout his entire career. His highest-rated work on Rotten Tomatoes is, unsurprisingly, The Sixth Sense, with an 86% critical score and 90% audience score. Trap may not reach the heights of the iconic Sixth Sense, but it still seems poised to be one of the director's most critically acclaimed films yet.
Source: Various (see above)
Trap
Not Yet Rated
Thriller
Mystery
Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner.
- Director
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Release Date
- August 2, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Blinding Edge Pictures , New Line Cinema
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures , New Line Cinema
- Writers
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast
- Josh Hartnett , Hayley Mills , Marnie McPhail , Vanessa Smythe , Saleka Shyamalan , Malik Jubal , Jonathan Langdon , Peter D'Souza , Ty Pravong , Kaitlyn Dallan
- Main Genre
- Thriller
