The reactions to M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap are in, and they’re overwhelmingly positive. Early screenings have thus far resulted in many saying that the film is a throwback to Shyamalan movies of old, with others claiming that the director is “back.” Spoiler alert: he was never gone. Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, and Saleka Shyamalan as pop singer Lady Raven, and opens nationwide on August 2, 2024.
Users who have seen the film took to X (formerly Twitter) to share some of their thoughts on the production, and have thus far been great at not spoiling anything, as yes, there are things to spoil. Namely, the big twist that Shyamalan has become known for that many thought was revealed in the trailer, but surprise! It wasn’t. User @Mjcartels praised the acting chops of Hartnett, and called Trap a “different story.”
@movie_hiv is another user who praised the performance of Hartnett, while also saying that the film feels like a cross between the celebrated video game, Hitman, and a John Carpenter classic.
@EDouglasWW called Hartnett’s performance “goofy,” which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but also said that Nicolas Cage was more compelling in Longlegs.
@PhysicalMedia_ is pleased to report that M. Night Shyamalan is “back,” and that Josh Hartnett is going to blow audiences away with his performance.
Finally, we have @ottovonschirekt, who says that thanks to Shyamalan’s trademark twist, Trap was nothing like they expected!
Josh Hartnett Gets Excited By Danger
Trap
A man and his teenage daughter realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event while watching a concert.
- Release Date
- August 9, 2024
- Cast
- Josh Hartnett , Hayley Mills , Marnie McPhail , Vanessa Smythe , Saleka Shyamalan , Malik Jubal , Jonathan Langdon , Peter D’Souza , Ty Pravong , Kaitlyn Dallan
Fresh off his award-winning performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and a surprise cameo in Season 3 of The Bear, Hartnett is on top of the world right now with all eyes on Trap. While he’s been known as a versatile actor for years thanks to roles in The Black Dahlia, August, and Wrath of Man, he’s never seemed to have gotten his flowers from the public, who at times have pegged Hartnett as just another pretty boy with little talent.
Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as Shyamalan recognized right away that Hartnett was the perfect choice to play a serial killer in his latest film (via US), saying that the 46-year-old actor had that “it” factor from the moment he met him.
“When he walked in, he just had an energy about him that was [a] superstar. He’s a superstar — but that was one half of the equation.”
What’s the other half of that equation? For Shyamalan, he says it was all about Hartnett’s willingness to be a team player, and do whatever the filmmaker wanted. When it came right down to it, Hartnett had no interest in playing things safe when it came to Trap, and it was their unique journey that allowed the pair to connect on a deeper level.
“The other half of the equation is, ‘Hey, I’m willing, I’m ready to do anything, whatever you want, I don’t want to be safe.’ Like he pretty much said that to me. Danger and taking huge risks and not knowing whether we’re going to succeed. That’s what kind of excites him. I think we both kind of eschewed some of the Hollywood journeys and normal movements that you would do in Hollywood and we both enjoy kind of breaking the mold a bit. We really connected on many things.”
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M. Night Shyamalan on Trap’s Connection to Taylor Swift & This 1991 Horror Movie
M. Night Shyamalan based Trap on a real event that took place in 1985 and says that he pitched the idea using a simple “What if?” question.
We have high hopes for this one, not only based on first reactions, but on Shyamalan’s own words that describe his movie as a collaborative effort between him and Hartnett. After all, that’s what filmmaking should be, because when it’s done right, the results can be spectacular, as appears to be the case with Trap.
Trap
opens nationwide on August 2, 2024, and you can check out the trailer below.