After producing his younger sister’s first feature film, M. Night Shyamalan has created a sumptuous showcase for his elder sister. Very good paternal intentions, but that doesn’t mean that the company (Shyamalan and daughters?) is destined for success: The Watchersby Ishana Night Shyamalan, was received rather lukewarmly; and, starring singer-songwriter Saleka Shyamalan, among others, Trap(Trap in French), written and directed by the patriarch of the family, starts from a promising concept that turns into a damp squib.
To say that 25 years ago, in The Sixth Sensethe same man had managed to surprise everyone with a kid who saw the dead. In 2002, on the cover of the magazine Newsweekhe was even announced as “the next Spielberg”. Since then, he has disappointed more often than not (old, Knock at the Cabin), while maintaining a base of loyal followers who do not lose hope. Because there is always something like a promise in his projects, a seed of potential just waiting to blossom. Before hitting a wall.
This is the case of Trap. The trap in question (inspired by a real operation) was set for a serial killer, the Butcher (Josh Hartnett), whom the police have been tracking for seven years. Hope is reborn for the police when they discover that the assassin is going to accompany his daughter (Ariel Donoghue, naturally sparkling) to the concert of Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan), a star in the style of Taylor Swift. SWAT and the profiler DD Grant (Hayley Mills, underused in an underwritten role) arrives at a stadium full of screaming teenage girls and understanding parents, many of them dads. Armed with a sketchy description, they hope to catch the monster. The monster benefits from the crass stupidity of the stadium staff and the police, as well as a series of coincidences clumsily arranged by the camera guy.
Not credible
Shortly after the beginning, it’s hard to believe. And things don’t get any better. They even get worse by the second until they become laughable, and crash into the hyper-explanatory conclusion that no one needed. Unlike the police, we understood.
It’s unfortunate but M. Night Shyamalan (who briefly plays Lady Raven’s uncle), whose talent (since he has some) shines through here and there, rarely manages to create a climate of real tension. As for Josh Hartnett, he is credible as a caring father (the father-daughter relationship is well written and when you see what the filmmaker does for his daughters, you understand why); and rather comfortable in his version of Mr. Hyde. But still a long way from an Anthony Hopkins – since the director presented his film as “ The Silence of the Lambs taking place during a Taylor Swift concert.”
As for Saleka Shyamalan, she is great on stage and her compositions are catchy. Except that the young woman is not a great actress, especially (especially?) since her script score is composed of a succession of gestures that do not have an ounce of credibility. Ultimately, her father built a luxurious showcase of visibility for the musician… and, for the actress, set a trap.