As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of film-viewing under my belt and a particular fondness for the twists and turns of M. Night Shyamalan’s oeuvre, I must say that “Trap” is an intriguing addition to his repertoire. Unlike some of his earlier works, this film doesn’t rely on earth-shattering surprises at the end; instead, it gradually unveils its layers like a well-crafted Russian nesting doll.
Spoilers ahead for the ending of Trap.
In the early 2000s, M. Night Shyamalan was known for his movies having unexpected twists at the end, which earned him both praise and criticism as a movie-maker who often left audiences feeling deceived. However, these days, the director of ‘The Sixth Sense’, ‘Unbreakable’, and ‘The Village’ has largely moved away from this signature style. His new film, ‘Trap’, does not have a grand finale twist, unless you consider its divisive, complex plot to be a twist in itself – it becomes intriguing only after it discards its initial premise.
Without watching the film “Trap” yourself, you might still have an idea about its plot, thanks to the trailer that reveals quite a bit. The story revolves around Josh Harnett’s character, Cooper, who appears to be a loving father of a teenage girl. However, he has a dark secret – Cooper is also a notorious serial killer known as “The Butcher,” and authorities believe he will attend the pop concert they are planning to use as a trap to capture him. The first part of the movie unfolds within a Philadelphia arena, where Cooper struggles to maintain his fatherly role while evading the numerous police officers patrolling the venue and securing the exits.
In the end, Cooper manages to break free, choosing an unusual path by confessing his actions to Saleka Shyamalan (the filmmaker’s daughter) and taking control of her limousine. The second part of the movie transitions from the confines of a single-location thriller, expanding into a string of increasingly improbable confrontations and escapes. It later confines Cooper once more, building tension in a quiet scene at the family home where he faces his wife, Rachel (Allison Pill). This final act narrows the action to the intimate space of a single kitchen, stripping away a multitude of onlookers, leaving only two individuals who finally understand each other clearly.
In this sequence, the dialogue feels eerily like a scene from a completely different, ominous film compared to the absurd heist we’ve been following so far. Harnett exposes the genuine Cooper: the ruthless killer exposed, no longer bound by the “impeccable business suit” that ‘Hannibal’ once described as Lecter’s disguise. It also becomes evident during these tense moments that Rachel has been hiding her own secret – her doubts about her husband’s true identity. The fact that the police knew Cooper would attend due to a concert ticket receipt found in one of his crime scenes is one of many questionable plot points in Shyamalan’s script (considering it’s 2024, why would anyone still have a physical ticket for a concert?). However, the twist that Rachel planted that receipt herself is a surprising revelation with some impact. This discovery uncovers a hidden domestic drama beneath ‘Trap’.
Reflecting on that particular moment, it stirs up many perplexing thoughts about Cooper and Rachel’s marital journey. How was he able to sustain those two separate lives for such an extended period? And when did she sense the first hints that something deeply amiss was lurking within him? Rachel mentions the strong scent of medical cleaning solution on his clothes as a telltale sign. Yet, it seems plausible that there were more subtle indications throughout their shared history together. The situation reminds me somewhat of Todd Solondz’s film Happiness, where a seemingly ordinary suburban dad ruins his family by giving in to repressed desires, hidden beneath a veneer of conventional normality.
The story concludes as a drugged Cooper gets arrested by the police. As they escort him to a patrol car, his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) happens to arrive, witnessing her father being taken away. This scene raises questions about the officers’ competence, considering they might bring Riley back to a place where her serial-killer father is still present. However, this plot inconsistency serves to intensify Harnett’s emotional portrayal as Cooper experiences his daughter’s distress. The character of Cooper embodies an intriguing contradiction: a ruthless killer who deeply cares for his family. His outburst towards Rachel earlier mirrors this duality, expressing both anger at being betrayed and deep pain from the revelation.
As a die-hard fan, I must admit that while “Trap” may have some head-scratching plot twists, M. Night Shyamalan masterfully flips the script of his usual thrillers in an intriguing way. Instead of saving the major revelations for the climax, he lays them out at the beginning – making the twist the very foundation of the story itself! (Who would have thought that the vendor who spills the beans early on, played by Jonathan Langdon, was actually giving us a sneak peek into Shyamalan’s own ingenious idea?) By unveiling Cooper’s true identity almost immediately and setting up the sting operation right from the start, Shyamalan cleverly prioritizes suspense over surprise. He gives us the secret and then keeps us guessing for an exhilarating two hours!
In a twist of irony, despite Shyamalan’s efforts to fully explore his concept, he manages to hint at a more intriguing film than the one we’ve seen. The kitchen scene where Cooper and Rachel reveal their truths introduces fresh layers of mystery towards the end. As for “Trap,” its final moments provoke deep thoughts on the partitioning that occurs within families. Our true selves are not always entirely revealed to our loved ones, as shown by Cooper’s role as both a force of evil and a loving husband and father. This duality serves as an extreme example of any individual who wrongs others while still doing right by themselves. It also cleverly distorts the age-old work-life balance dilemma. Ultimately, Cooper is simply a man grappling with keeping his twin passions apart – a struggle that Shyamalan, like his protagonist, has not managed to achieve in “Trap,” symbolizing the blend of professional and family life.
M. Night Shyamalan skillfully sparks curiosity about this family’s past and their intricate dynamics, which are cloaked in the seemingly idyllic suburban existence of Cooper, Rachel, and Riley. The underlying theme of Trap, however deceptively ordinary, unfolds into a profoundly unsettling depiction of evil as an ancillary endeavor. As the movie progresses towards this disclosure, it reaches its climax – only to abruptly end at the precise moment when things start getting truly intriguing. What a captivating twist!
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2024-08-06 22:54