"Trap" is the summer triller that won't let you go

It is a common sentiment, especially among many overseas critics, to consider M. Night Shyamalan a mediocre director, a juggler screenwriter, an author who challenges life with his excessive number of coincidences, where accidents and coincidences lead to unexpected twists and discoveries. His surprise endings are his strong suit and, for this reason, they are often heavily criticized; often seen as an easy solution to conclude stories that rely solely on the premise that, at some point and in some way, the viewer must be shocked, even at the expense of the sense, logic, or balance of the entire narrative. A distinctive signature, even more so in the popcorn-driven and indulgent panorama that his films have always been a part of. Like it or not for his detractors, Shyamalan has elevated himself from a mere craftsman to a true author of great entertainment films, which often means leaving behind some coherence to make room for wonder, much like the pioneers of cinema did before devoting themselves to literature and well-known texts to establish themselves as art. Trap, which comes from the United States with a not-so-enthusiastic reception, is yet another piece of this story that starts from a filmmaker who has grasped the pleasure of wonder from the entertainment industry since his early works. “I see dead people”, twenty-five years after the release of his *The Sixth Sense*, what else is it if not the possibility of observing a beyond-world, a world that isn’t there and that becomes visible on the screen? Show business is at the heart of the work with Josh Hartnett, it’s the box in which Shyamalan locks his characters this time, a personal stage that changes from title to title, always staging a new show (the house in Signs, The Visit and Knock at the Cabin, the beach in Old, the community in The Village). 

In Trap, it’s an entire concert that becomes the carousel (or the prison) where the protagonist finds himself trapped. A father, husband, firefighter, and man of strong values – as seen by a chatty vendor at the merchandise stand – Cooper in his spare time is also the Butcher, a ruthless serial killer who has butchered a dozen people over seven years. A meticulous man, as well as obsessive-compulsive: he keeps his two lives separate, his “jobs” divided, he has various houses to use, and a dark car to hide the dirt. But, more than anything, he is a parent who gave his daughter tickets to hear her favorite pop star sing – Lady Raven, played by Shyamalan's daughter, Saleka. An event turned into a trap by the police to catch the man whose identity and face are unknown. A fort from which no one leaves without first being investigated, searched, and interrogated. If the easiest reproach one can make against M. Night Shyamalan is also his strength, namely the anticipation of the plot twist by both the director and the audience, in *Trap* the focus shifts from the “what” to the “how”, concentrating and making one concentrate not on the premise, which is already galvanizing in itself – a killer is trapped by the FBI and must try to escape – but on the way in which he will (if he will) save himself. The roulette in which the protagonist finds himself multiplies the opportunities and intuitions that shake the stillness of the single location where the director traps the characters, finding breathing space from halfway through the film, even outside the four walls, without ever failing to deliver punches and unusual twists. 

But it is in the cinematic escape room in which Shyamalan has placed us that we understand how fun is a fundamental prerogative for an author who is often criticized for being too light in keeping the threads of his stories together, who simply needs to live in the suspension of disbelief that he places us in the most genuine and authentic way imaginable. Saying: “Come on, please, believe it along with me”. Which was also the principle by which the handling of multiple personality disorder in *Split* was demonized, where the monster was as real (a man with a real pathology) as it was built ad hoc to appear superhuman. But it is precisely the toothpicks that support the script of *Trap*, in a very subtle challenge against rationality and time, that move the protagonist forward in a room full of mirrors and, with him, the viewers. The unexpected becomes an additional threat, the escape tricks and the continuous chess match between the film and the audience over the fate of the character and whether he will manage to escape is the spark of a fully appreciated amusement, first and foremost by those who set up the game table. It is no coincidence that, right on the red carpet of his *Trap*, when asked about his four favorite films for Letteboxd, Shyamalan answers: *Raiders of the Lost Ark*, *The Exorcist*, *The Godfather*, and *Jaws*. Pure escapist cinema, of great stories for a large audience, written and directed by great authors. And not all thrillers/horrors can or should necessarily be strictly highbrow. In a year, we only need MaXXXine and Longlegs. 

Adding to the charm of the film is M. Night Shyamalan’s choice of an unusual Hartnett as the protagonist, who manages to switch between entirely different acting registers in the blink of an eye. Convincing and above all passionate in every approach. It may also be for this reason that, despite knowing his propensity for butchering people, it’s always somewhat endearing to see him swaying to the rhythm of the music and looking adoringly at his daughter. We’re connected with the serial killer, but rather than hoping he gets away, we’re genuinely invested in discovering whether his plan will be revealed, conceived, and executed in a constant state of becoming. He’s frightening, affectionate, intelligent, all at once. A criminal mind with luck on his side, and who knows if with some hidden power, like in *Unbreakable*. If there are cinematic traps, never remain stuck in the most austere, foolish, and falsely authoritative ones. Rejoicing in the work of M. Night Shyamalan is to rediscover each time a joyfully childlike taste for spectacle. Like the joy of a concert when you were a pre-teen. And if this can be done with well-executed works (perhaps more so than others in his filmography) then all the better. Not that Shyamalan always has to succeed. But this time, he does: *It’s (not) a trap!*