Trap

Cert - 15

Run-time - 1 hour 51 minutes

Director - M. Night Shyamalan

Cooper (Josh Hartnett) takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to a concert, however the arena is under strict police and FBI surveillance, intent on capturing his murderous side known as The Butcher.

Trap starts out as something different from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan. There's a self-awareness to the film and its proceedings as Josh Hartnett's Cooper finds himself surrounded by armed police and FBI agents attempting to catch his serial-killer alter-ego The Butcher. Stuck in an arena where he's taken his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert he attempts to do everything he can with his wits to evade capture.

Much of what the film has been sold on is the arena-set thriller that plays out for most of the run-time. This majority portion makes for a deliriously entertaining time, and sets up one of the best things that Shyamalan has done in his career. At each turn you can see Cooper thinking in real time and acting just as quickly, adopting new false sides to himself to deter those who are after him, especially in a room surrounded by cops being briefed on his past murders.

There's a knowing humour which brings about a handful of laughs which become more frequent as the situation gets increasingly desperate for the central character. It's fun to see him react and just how far he will go to not be caught within the trap that's been set up, while also allowing his daughter to enjoy a concert. 

We know he's a serial-killer, we hear some of the details of the crime scenes he's been behind, and while we're not rooting for him, there's still somehow an air of tension about the events within the arena. Perhaps it's simply because of the thrilling, and amusing, nature in which things are dealt with and how Cooper works. Whatever it is, there's a really entertaining ride when navigating the fast-paced course of this environment. Much like the concert likely does for Riley, growing increasingly concerned for her dad who keeps disappearing, the time in the venue flies by.

Where things begin to dip is in the extensive third act where a much more familiar Shyamalan feel comes through. To some extent it almost feels as if we're watching a different, much more serious, film. One focusing on the darker aspects of Hartnett's character. Multiple potential resolves are brought into the narrative, however the third act continues to go on and on, drawing things out and bringing a suddenly overlong feel. If trimmed down closer to 90 minutes, there would likely be a tighter, and wholly entertaining, film here, however things start to loop around with occasionally different perspectives as if every initial idea is still included by the end.

While the film doesn't fall apart it certainly doesn't have the grinning edge of fun that it once had when acting as a smile-inducing single-location thriller. Hartnett gives a great performance, and it's entertaining to see Shyamalan do something different.

Four stars