A ‘Trap' Reaction

Scratch off that rumor that M. Night Shyamalan’s “Trap” is 2.5 hours. It currently clocks in at just under two hours, without credits. The film test screened last night in Pennsylvania as a “work in progress,” but, according to a reader, it definitely felt picture locked.

“Trap” take place at a pop star’s concert, the performer is played by his daughter, Saleka Shyamalan. Last month, a trailer was released for the film, which is set to hit theaters on August 9. The Hitchcock inspirations are again very much present here.

Described as a “thriller,” “Trap” stars Josh Harnett as a dad taking his teenage daughter to a concert. Leaving his seat for the bathroom, Hartnett’s character notices a heavy police presence around the venue and finds out that the concert is a sting operation to catch a serial killer on the loose and intel suggests that he might be at the concert. PLOT TWIST, it turns out, Hartnett is the killer.

Hartnett is said to deliver a good performance, and it might be Shyamalan’s most comedic film. Sadly, some of the characters are “underdeveloped.” Also, despite online speculation, don’t expect a twist in this one — it was already revealed in the trailer as Hartnett being the villain. There’s nothing else.

According to my source, the film suffers from “pacing issues,” which could be worked on in the editing room. Regardless, Hartnett’s character is said to be a deviously smart baddie, always one step ahead of the cops. He’s the clear highlight of the film.

By the sounds of it, this is very middle of the road Shyamalan, which aligns with his recent efforts. This same viewer was asked to rank Shyamalan’s best films and said “Trap” would probably be #8 out of the 16 films he’s released. Again, just one reaction, and I’m hopeful it’ll maybe work itself out in the editing room, and could be tightened up a bit more. I’ve not given up on the guy.

While we’re at it, here’s a question for our readers: What’s been Shyamalan’s best film since his “comeback” from 10 years ago? The options are “The Visit,” “Split,” “Glass,” “Old” and “Knock at the Cabin.”