Director M. Night Shyamalan's Trap isn't a typical whodunit. The movie makes it clear from the start that a cunning serial killer lurks behind the good-guy surface of a Philadelphia father who earns his living as a fireman.
Shyamalan casts Josh Hartnett as Cooper, a killer whose evil inclinations are never much in doubt. The suspense, such as it is, derives from a different question: Can the killer escape law enforcement and continue leading his carefully compartmentalized double life?
The trailer reveals the movie's main plot contrivance. Shyamalan's screenplay places Cooper at a concert in a Philadelphia arena. Teen idol Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) headlines the show. Cooper is treating his teenage daughter (Ariel Donoghue) to floor seats.
You'll have to wait until the third act to learn how the police determined that The Butcher (aka Cooper) would attend the concert. Meanwhile, you can wonder about the judgment of cops who set a massive trap involving an arena full of screaming kids.
Shyamalan takes a generous approach to the concert footage, giving his daughter Saleka a chance to perform several numbers. She does the singing in footage that looks convincing enough.
Once Cooper realizes the police know that The Butcher is within their grasp, he spends most of his time trying to find an escape route from an arena that’s teeming with police officers who’ve sealed every exit.
How will the police even know if they encounter the killer? Conveniently, The Butcher has an animal tattoo that will distinguish him from the other 2,999 men who have brought their kids to the concert. All men will be checked at the exits.
Hayley Mills plays Dr. Grant, the genius profiler who has concocted this trap for Cooper, providing a serviceable premise for a thriller that encourages us to consider how a packed 20,000-seat arena can be secured.
The movie depends on Harnett's performance as a genial guy who no one -- other than the audience -- suspects of being a vicious killer. Hartnett plays against his wholesome looks, offering flashes of weird behavior and murderous impulses even as he tries to be a loving father. He’s part family man, part maniac with mama issues.
The screenplay eventually contrives to bring Cooper's wife (Alison Pill) into the proceedings, but as it unfolds, the story becomes increasingly ridiculous, even campy. It's difficult to say more without spoilers, but it's possible that Shyamalan is goofing on a well-worn genre. Maybe not.
Whatever the case, the third act pushes credibility to absurd extremes while giving Shyamalan an opportunity to try to stick one of his twist-heavy landings.
All I'll say is, "Cue the eye rolls, please."
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