M. Night Shyamalan. Hitchcockian thriller. Pop concert. No, we’re not playing film buff Mad Libs with ourselves here; rather, this is the tantalising set-up for the Old director’s new high concept cinematic experience, Trap. Having left us suspicious of beaches, cabins, and trips to granny and grandad’s house already, Shyamalan’s latest sees dad Cooper (Josh Hartnett) and daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) rock up at a gig by pop starlet Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan), only for Cooper to learn the whole show is a cover for a police operation to capture on-the-loose serial killer ‘The Butcher’. And the kicker? It looks like our man Cooper may be the murderer. Yikes! Check out the hair-raising new trailer for the film below;
In an interview with Empire for our world-exclusive The Rings Of Power Season 2 issue this month, director Shyamalan described his pitch for Trap as “What if The Silence Of The Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert?” And honestly, watching this latest trailer, it looks like that’s exactly what we’re getting. From the immaculate Eras Tour vibes of Lady Raven’s set, to the increasingly fraught game of cat-and-mouse that plays out as Hartnett’s Cooper tries to stay one step ahead of the circling cops, it’s clear Shyamalan — at the peak of his maverick moviemaking powers — is putting on one hell of a show here. And whilst there’s a malevolent energy surrounding Cooper as he switches on and off the charm, it’s all shot through with a dark streak of humour (Mr. Oversharing Merch Man is the new Mid-Sized Sedan of our hearts) that promises we’re in for a real rollercoaster ride with this one.
Now, whether things are quite as cut and dry as Cooper being the elusive Butcher remains to be seen — he’s certainly got someone tied up in his basement at the very least. But whether or not Shyamalan’s got another iconic twist up his sleeve here (and you suspect, given how upfront this trailer is, he just might), you can guarantee we’ll all be caught in his Trap when it hits UK cinemas on 9 August. Anyone up for exchanging some Shyamalan friendship bracelets?