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Trap (2024)

Oh boy. Despite mediocre reviews I was expecting Trap to be an entertaining picture based chiefly on the reputation of director M. Night Shyamalan (Split; Glass). But alas it was a real turkey. It gradually became poor enough that I began to wonder if it was a spoof. But it wasn't.

A man named Cooper (Josh Hartnett) and his daughter attend an arena rock concert. We soon learn that the entire venue has become surrounded by police, having heard that the contemporary serial killer, "The Butcher" is in the building. They let the viewer know pretty quick that it is Cooper who is The Butcher, so the rest of the film features how they try to catch him, his evasion, and a hint at a sequel.

Right off the bat one of the problems is that we are not shown why or how Cooper has become The Butcher. There are no flashbacks of his evil deeds. Hitchcock once said that whatever is not shown to the audience is completely lost on them. That's the case here.

Of course the other problem is that the story is utterly unbelievable. Add to that the poor dialogue, and one finds oneself sitting there wondering why one is watching the movie. There is some decent acting, but with the silly dialogue, the actors have tall orders to sound convincing.

If you're a big Shyamalan fan then you might get something out of this one. But if not, you were warned...

Doc's rating: 3/10