Trap

2024   Warner Brothers Pictures

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  1 hr  45min

Drama ~ Horror ~ Thriller

Directed by:  M. Night Shyamalan

Starring:  Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Alison Pill.

“This whole concert? It’s a trap. They’re watching all the exits, checking everyone that leaves. There’s no way to get out of here.”

Movie Synopsis from Netflix Tudum:

To celebrate her good grades, Philadelphia firefighter Cooper Abbott (Josh Hartnett) takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to see her favorite pop star, Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan), in concert. But when they arrive at the event, Cooper notices that security is on extra-high alert. He watches as, one by one, guards remove other dads accompanying their daughters from the show, and realizes that every exit is blocked off by police. An employee at the arena tells Cooper that the FBI has reason to believe a notorious serial killer known as The Butcher is attending the concert, and they’re using the event to try to ensnare and arrest him. With the entire arena under surveillance, and thousands of armed police officers ready to sniff out the killer, The Butcher will have to find his way out without drawing attention to himself  — or his daughter.

Movie Backstory from Netflix Tudum:

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Watchers, After Earth), Trap isn’t directly based on a true story, but the plot was partially inspired by a real-life sting operation known as Operation Flagship. In 1985, the US Marshals Service and the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department sent out more than 3,000 invitations by mail to fugitives with outstanding warrants living in the DC area. The invitations, which were sent using the name of the fictitious television company Flagship International Sports TV, stated that the individuals had been selected to receive free tickets to a Dec. 15 NFL game between the Washington Redskins (now known as the Washington Commanders) and the Cincinnati Bengals, as well as a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Super Bowl XX in New Orleans.

When the fugitives arrived to retrieve their tickets at what they were led to believe was the network’s headquarters, they were greeted by undercover marshals and police officers posing as ushers, cheerleaders, mascots, and other event staff. Operation Flagship resulted in the arrest of 101 people. Speaking about the inspiration behind Trap, Shyamalan told BBC News that he heard about Operation Flagship as a kid. “I thought it was totally absurdist, that this actually happened … This was real-life criminals, FBI and police,” he said, “They dressed up as cheerleaders and mascots and were dancing around with them and goofing around with them.”

What I thought about Trap:

What a Trap! I couldn’t resist, it was too easy. It was a little cheesy, a little campy. If I was a young teenage girl I might be really drawn in by Saleka’s character, but otherwise it just wasn’t that good. It really was kinda silly and implausible and I didn’t think Saleka is that good an actor. After the fact I started thinking you know…that seemed like M. Night Shyamalan was trying to showcase his daughter’s talents.

So I googled that and that is exactly what Trap is. A showcase by M. Night Shyamalan to showcase his daughter’s music and acting aspirations. “Daddy…….can you make me a star? Please daddy…” I just don’t think she was that good on either front. Teenage girls might think otherwise, I don’t know. Kind of a letdown for an M. Night Shyamalan movie. I expect more after his track record of really good thrillers.

That’s a no for me Dog……