The Wild True Story That Inspired M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’

As a seasoned movie buff with a penchant for delving into the annals of history, I must say that M. Night Shyamalan’s latest offering, “Trap,” is nothing short of a cinematic tour de force. The film’s premise, reminiscent of a tantalizing blend of “Silence of the Lambs” and a Taylor Swift concert, is as intriguing as it is audacious.

In my latest movie review, I delve into M. Night Shyamalan’s gripping psychological thriller, “Trap.” The story revolves around the enigmatic character of Cooper, a serial killer known as “The Butcher” (portrayed by Josh Hartnett), who embarks on an seemingly ordinary father-daughter outing to witness their favorite popstar in concert. However, upon arriving at the event, Cooper uncovers a chilling truth: it’s all a meticulously orchestrated trap, aimed at finally apprehending “The Butcher.” The tension builds as Cooper navigates through this labyrinth of deceit, with his daughter by his side.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, M. Night Shyamalan compared his movie to imagining “The Silence of the Lambs occurring at a Taylor Swift concert.” This catchy description suggests that the storyline of “Trap” could only unfold on the silver screen. However, the film is grounded in truth, drawing inspiration from one of America’s most successful undercover operations: Operation Flagship.

In December 1985, the U.S. Marshals Service, in a clever ruse, dispatched over 3,000 invitations to individuals with active warrants in Washington D.C, amounting to 5,117 outstanding warrants collectively. The invitations were disguised as coming from Flagship International Sports TV and claimed that the recipients had been chosen randomly from a database and won free tickets to watch the Washington Redskins face off against the Cincinnati Bengals later in the same month.

Attendees will have bus service available to a pre-match celebration, where victors can claim their award and participate in raffles for Washington Redskins season passes and a completely funded journey to Super Bowl XX.

On December 15th, I was among the 3,000 invited to board buses bound for the Washington Convention Center, dressed in Redskins gear and harboring hopes of victory amidst an uncertain 8-6 season. Over 150 undercover officers lay in wait at the venue, masquerading as cheerleaders, caterers, representatives from Flagship, and even janitorial staff. One officer donned the San Diego Chicken costume.

Upon their arrival, it was deemed too risky to apprehend 101 fugitives all at once. Instead, these individuals were processed and divided into groups of approximately 15 people each. They were then escorted to a designated area. In this space, they were informed that they would be receiving their passes and would listen to some remarks from the event’s host, who was none other than Louie McKinney, the head of enforcement operations.

After everyone was settled down, McKinney began his talk, summarizing the day’s occurrences and revealing information about Flagship’s fresh offering in sports broadcasting.

“In his 2009 memoir ‘One Marshal’s Badge’, McKinney wrote that we had an agreed-upon signal with the Special Operations Group to enter the room upon hearing me say ‘surprise’. However, surprisingly, nothing happened when I gave the signal. Thinking that a louder cue might be necessary, I decided to repeat it. ‘Today is truly your lucky day!’, I called out over the chatter. ‘And I have a big surprise in store for you!'”

Approximately 25 agents from the SOG stormed into the room, brandishing their weapons. They carried out this action multiple times, and as a result, all 101 fugitives were apprehended. In the end, this led to a total of 144 arrests.

“Trap” is now screening in theaters nationwide.

2024-08-03 01:46

The Wild True Story That Inspired M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’

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