Trap Footage Reaction: M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Horror Movie Puts The Big Twist Up Front And Center [CinemaCon 2024]

There is not a more divisive filmmaker working today than M. Night Shyamalan. Everyone can basically agree that his 1999 breakthrough "The Sixth Sense" is a supernatural classic, but after that? Slip on the brass knuckles and get ready to rumble. Shyamalan's early 2000s hits "Unbreakable" and "Signs," along with his 2017 comeback "Split," generate the least amount of friction, but aside from those three, it's so very on. You'll hear reasonable defenses for just about all of his films (save for the singularly atrocious "The Last Airbender"). While it's hard to sway folks on a movie as wackadoodle as "The Happening," it is only a good thing to have a major filmmaker knocking out provocative original movies for major studios.

Shyamalan's latest provocation, "Trap," will be his first project under his first-look deal with Warner Bros., and as is typically the case with a new Shyamalan movie, we know next to nothing about it. Thus far, the filmmaker has revealed that the film is "a psychological thriller set at a concert." He's also hinted that it's a unique spin on a familiar story.

All we know for certain is that it stars Josh Hartnett and the legendary Haley Mills (of the original "The Parent Trap"). Hartnett recently told IndieWire that "Trap" is "very bizarre, very dark and it's wild." The film wrapped principal photography last December, so WB and the secretive Shyamalan brought a first tease of it to CinemaCon 2024 attendees today.

CinemaCon simply wouldn't feel complete without an appearance by one of the biggest, most recognizable, and most successful name-brand directors around — one who always manages to put butts in seats, to the delight of theater owners everywhere. Not only is M. Night Shyamalan's daughter Ishana Night already gearing up for the release of her feature film debut with "Watchers," but the elder filmmaker is also set to stage a box office matchup for the ages as his latest effort, "Trap," is also debuting later this year.

The hype was downright tangible as Shyamalan took the stage in Las Vegas, according to our very own Ryan Scott. He kicked off the festivities by describing how his eldest, Ishana, is also a musician and that he's come to value the "immersive" experience of concerts. By taking those two aspects and adding them together, the idea for "Trap" was born. As he put it, "What if we did something together? You could take music, that experience, and add a thriller to it." And in case mere talk about immersion and verisimilitude wasn't enough, Shyamalan turned the panel into an impromptu concert, ushering his other daughter Saleka onto the stage to sing her own special song for the occasion. That's a commitment to the bit that we can all respect!

From there, attendees finally had a chance to lay eyes on exclusive footage of "Trap," before the rest of us mere mortals will. Here's what those lucky folks got to see.

"Trap" has kept its cards close to the chest, with the only known information about it revolving around the main setting of a concert venue with psychological thriller vibes "where they realize they're at the center of a dark and sinister event," according to the logline. The mind reels at the possibilities, but here's how the CinemaCon footage unfolded. As reported firsthand by Ryan Scott, the reel begins with a singer known as Lady Raven (possibly played by Saleka Shyamalan, as well) taking the stage while Josh Hartnett's character is in attendance with his daughter — apparently in full dad mode. Everything seems happy and normal and decidedly stress-free, as we all know Shyamalan films always turn out to be.

But, of course, things start to get weird in no time. Upon leaving his prime seat to visit the restroom, Hartnett's character suddenly encounters police cars and camera people buzzing about some unknown development. After asking someone what's going on, he's informed that a mysterious figure known only as "The Butcher" is the target, and the entire concert was set up as an elaborate trap that could very well be a serial killer. From there, the quick-cutting reel teases increasingly horrific imagery that includes Hartnett looking at his phone and seeing video of someone trapped in a basement. And here's the twist of all twists: it appears that the footage actually reveals the film's major surprise (or, more likely, one of the major surprises).

Read no further if you'd like to avoid spoilers.

Still here? Good. It certainly appears that Hartnett himself is actually the "Butcher" in question, and the video on his phone is that of his own hostage. The footage ends with him giving a "sinister smile" to the camera. We have absolutely no idea what to expect from this thriller, needless to say, but we're here for it. 

"Trap" springs into theaters August 9, 2024.