Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan can be credited with a certain degree of originality in the crafting of his thriller “Trap.” And, though the film as a whole turns out to be an odd mix of interesting plot twists and yawning improbabilities, there’s little on screen that would bar older teens from reaching into this cinematic grab bag.
Can a brutal serial killer successfully double as a suburban family man? As far as seemingly devoted dad Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is concerned, the answer is yes. Among those buying into his act is his typical-teen daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue).
To reward Riley for an outstanding report card, Cooper brings her to a concert by her favorite pop star, Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). As Riley enthuses over the music, Cooper notices that an unusual number of police officers seem to be present at the event.
He eventually discovers that the authorities, led by profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), had obtained a clue indicating he would be there and now have him completely surrounded. Time for some quick thinking.
Is the idea that a psychopath could carry on healthy loving relationships such as Cooper has with Riley, his wife Rachel (Alison Pill) and his young son Logan (Lochlan Miller) intriguing or merely absurd? Certainly the origin story of Cooper’s madness – he’s haunted by visions of his overbearing mother (Marcia Bennett) – is straight out of Freud’s bargain basement.
So the proceedings come across as more than a bit muddled. And the concert scenes go on too long as well. But the action is restrained, objectionable elements are few and, to the extent that any message is conveyed, it’s that decent people can be almost as resourceful as a homicidal maniac.
The film contains mature themes, brief harsh violence, a few gory images, a couple of instances each of profanity and crass talk, numerous milder oaths and a single rough term. The OSV News classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
