M. Night Shyamalan’s New Thriller Rigs A Concert To Catch A Serial Killer

Summary

• Getting trapped at a pop concert takes a sinister turn in M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming film
  Trap
  , starring Josh Hartnett and Saleka Shyamalan.
• The trailer for
  Trap
  showcases a father-daughter duo’s outing turn dark, with Hartnett hiding a disturbing secret in a gripping mystery-thriller.
• Trap
  ‘s release will determine if Shyamalan’s latest work follows his recent mixed-reviews trend or propels his career to new heights.

A new trailer has been released for the upcoming film Trap. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap is an upcoming mystery-thriller that focuses on a father and his teen daughter who unsuspectingly attend a pop concert, only for the event to have been designed to catch a local serial killer. Trap is set for release on August 9 and features a leading cast including Josh Hartnett, Hayley Mills, Marnie McPhail, Saleka Shyamalan, Vanessa Smythe, and Malik Jubal.

Now, Warner Bros. has released the trailer for Trap.

The trailer features the protagonist (Hartnett) taking his daughter (played by M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter Saleka Shyamalan) to a pop concert for the band Lady Raven. When Hartnett’s character goes to the restroom, he notices cameras and cops, and is soon alerted that the concert is actually a trap that has been set for the Butcher. As he goes to the bathroom, he checks on his home security camera, where his more sinister roots have been revealed, as a victim is seen tied up and screaming.

Will Trap Be A Shyamalan Hit Or Flop?

Trap
is situated in an interesting position in the Shyamalan oeuvre.

The Trap trailer has an exceedingly eerie feel, as the event turns from a nice father-daughter outing to something far more malevolent. In the trailer alone, Hartnett does a great job masking his evil initially, before the secret is revealed. The concept of Trap is ripe for interesting character dynamics as Hartnett and Saleka Shyamalan are introduced as a father-daughter duo, with one of them covering up a huge secret. Against the backdrop of the pop concert, all the moving parts have the potential to create a fascinating arc.

Shyamalan’s track record as a writer-director has been mixed in recent years. His 2021 film Old was particularly divisive to viewers, bringing in a 50% Tomatometer and only 53% audience score. 2019’s Glass also had a mixed reception, getting a 37% Tomatometer and a 67% among audiences. Last year’s Knock at the Cabin had better reviews, scoring a 67% and 63% among critics and audiences, respectively.

Because of this varied record, Trap is situated in an interesting position in the Shyamalan oeuvre. On the one hand, it could follow the upward review trend established by Knock at the Cabin and help to return the director’s work to mainstream appreciation. On the other hand, Trap could fall victim to the same follies as many of Shyamalan’s previous films. It will also be interesting to see whether he includes a twist ending in Trap, as such devices typify the director.

Source: Warner Bros.