STORYLINE: In M. Night Shyamalan’s latest outing, everyone in a large city is in a frenzy. Why? That’s because they’re up and ready to watch a concert performed by famous pop star Lady Raven. Two of her fans, a man named Cooper and his daughter Riley, attend the concert with high spirits, but things slowly begin to change their tune. Amongst the screams of adoration and sounds of applause, the concert itself has a hidden identity: a front to fish out an infamous serial killer known as The Butcher. With security cameras rigged, armies of policemen with weapons at the ready, and police vehicles surrounding the venue, will anyone survive their concert experience or is there more to The Butcher than meets the eye? (IMDb) 

    In the films of M. Night Shyamalan there are a variety of difficult topics tackled. They range from childhood psychology (The Sixth Sense) to isolationism (The Village).  Along the way he tackles such topics as multiple personality disorder (Spilt), obsession (Unvreabable), and grief (Signs). In his latest film, Trap, M. Night Shyamalan, takes on desperation. Stereotypically those themes are found in heavy dramas, but all the films I mentioned are horror films. 

    What works about Trap is that it trades the jump scares of the genre for an incredible feeling of tension.  The brilliance of M. Night Shyamalan is that he builds that tension slowly, over the course of the movie. 

    This not only creates the feeling that central

character is trapped but as he tries to escape, others  around him are trapped as well.   The others in the film are unknown ly trapped because of his actions.

    Helping the film vreate this tension is the cinematography. The film has a gritty look.  The exciting lighting from the concert featured in the film off sets that gritty look to mix in excitement with the feeling of tension. 

    Trap is a well crafted thriller. I do enjoy M. Night Shyamalan’s films and look forward to what comes next. 

    Until next time I will see you at the movies!