rg9400 reviewed
1 november 2024•
Trap is a strange movie to review. The plot actually moves into some interesting territory in the second half, suddenly feeling far more compelling. I legitimately enjoyed seeing the way the story develops into this shift, and there were a few sequences in that latter half that really felt captivating. However, so much of this movie requires turning off your brain. Almost all the actions, from both the police and the killer, seem incredibly illogical. It is not even remotely believable that either side is an expert at what they are doing. Logic simply has no place in this movie. The line delivery and dialogue is so stilted and awkward at times. It is intentional because Josh Hartnett can act, as evidenced by various moments throughout the movie, yet he is baffingly terrible at others, especially in the first half. In fact, a lot of the first half of the movie feels like Shyamalam trying to soft launch his daughter's music career. Yet, it's almost endearing how silly it all is, with my theater laughing throughout the movie in a fun way. Even if it was unintentional, there is a B-movie shlock feeling to the film that makes it entertaining in its ridiculousness. Still, I think there are so many things that could have been executed significantly better to make this movie much stronger, because the concept is actually good. It could have been on the level of Split, but instead it seems destined to be compared to the director's weaker work, even if it is more fun than those movies. At this stage, we should know what to expect from M Night Shyamalam, with his strong movies being the outliers and not the norm. This one had the potential to be that outlier, and though it can feel fun and engaging, it doesn't reach that potential.
rg9400 reviewed
1 november 2024•
Trap is a strange movie to review. The plot actually moves into some interesting territory in the second half, suddenly feeling far more compelling. I legitimately enjoyed seeing the way the story develops into this shift, and there were a few sequences in that latter half that really felt captivating. However, so much of this movie requires turning off your brain. Almost all the actions, from both the police and the killer, seem incredibly illogical. It is not even remotely believable that either side is an expert at what they are doing. Logic simply has no place in this movie. The line delivery and dialogue is so stilted and awkward at times. It is intentional because Josh Hartnett can act, as evidenced by various moments throughout the movie, yet he is baffingly terrible at others, especially in the first half. In fact, a lot of the first half of the movie feels like Shyamalam trying to soft launch his daughter's music career. Yet, it's almost endearing how silly it all is, with my theater laughing throughout the movie in a fun way. Even if it was unintentional, there is a B-movie shlock feeling to the film that makes it entertaining in its ridiculousness. Still, I think there are so many things that could have been executed significantly better to make this movie much stronger, because the concept is actually good. It could have been on the level of Split, but instead it seems destined to be compared to the director's weaker work, even if it is more fun than those movies. At this stage, we should know what to expect from M Night Shyamalam, with his strong movies being the outliers and not the norm. This one had the potential to be that outlier, and though it can feel fun and engaging, it doesn't reach that potential.
