Trap Doesn't Have A Shyamalan Twist, But The Trailer Is Only The Tip Of The Iceberg

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for "Trap."

M. Night Shyamalan had made a thriving career out of movies that are far more than what initially meets the eye. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in a narrative that tends to water down all of his vast idiosyncrasies into a single, one-size-fits-all label. The filmmaker is now stuck with a reputation for incorporating plot twists into all of his movies ... even if this isn't even very accurate. In fact, an argument can be made that the majority of his movies don't contain twists at all. For every "The Sixth Sense" or "Unbreakable" or "The Village," there are many more straightforward efforts such as "Old," "Knock at the Cabin," and even "Signs." 

Shyamalan's latest, "Trap," initially gave every indication of joining the category of movies that do contain truly shocking twists, what with Josh Hartnett's Cooper being revealed in the various trailers as the serial killer who necessitates the trap in the first place. A deeper dive into the film, however, reveals that the only real "twist" is that it doesn't actually have one. That's not to say there are no major reveals, unexpected plot developments, or just a general commitment to upending audience expectations in service of a refreshingly original story, mind you. On the contrary, Shyamalan actually pulls off a rarity in modern filmmaking. In a feat that's usually only ever pulled off by industry titans like Marvel with the recent "Deadpool & Wolverine," the marketing sells a very different movie from the one we ended up getting. Whether that's a good thing or not is entirely in the eye of the beholder.

Love it or hate it, that ability to hold back the most spoilery aspects of until release makes "Trap" something worth celebrating.

For weirdos like myself who make a living talking about and analyzing movies — and even for those who enjoy reading such ramblings — it's worth noting that writers and directors don't have the final word once they release their art for the world to see. Additional comments after the fact, pre-release interview quotes, and other explanations not included in the movie itself (think of that viral Elijah Wood tweet about "The Rise of Skywalker," for instance) all pale in comparison to what's included in the actual text of a given work. They can be useful supplementary material in order to make a broader point, however, and that's exactly what we're going to attempt here.

In a recent interview I conducted for /Film, Shyamalan addressed this very idea of "Trap" giving away its own twist and provided a surprising response. In his eyes, Cooper's real identity as the central murderer wasn't even a twist to begin with. As he put it:

"I don't really think of it as that. That's the premise of the movie ... you're watching it from the point of view of someone unexpected, is really what the movie's telling you. Not necessarily a plot point, but what's unconsciously happening is you're identifying with him as you're finding out the premise of the movie. So that's actually the funky twist of it, is not the information, that he's in a trap or that he's the killer. It's that you are the killer."

Obviously that last part isn't meant literally, but the point is well taken. By getting us to align ourselves through Cooper's perspective as the villain of the story, the emotional effect is that it almost makes us a guilty party. That is a twist!

Would "Trap" have been better as the one-location thriller we all imagined it would be, or does the abrupt shift in setting and scale in the latter half make for a better and more compelling story?

To briefly recap, the first hour or so is spent following Cooper and his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) throughout pop star Lady Raven's (Saleka Shyamalan) spectacle-filled concert. The cat-and-mouse game between Cooper and the authorities on a furious manhunt reaches a climax when Cooper does the unthinkable. After lying his way into getting Riley chosen to perform onstage with Lady Raven, his plans blow up in his face when even this backstage pass requires them to pass through a security checkpoint in order to leave the venue — a total deal-breaker for Cooper, who is willing to do anything to escape without anyone knowing his true identity. So what he does instead is reveal himself to Lady Raven herself, force her into cooperating, and use her private limousine to leave the premises safe and sound. As a result, the second half of the movie tightens its focus considerably and provides an ending that gets us right in the head of the serial killer.

By trading in this claustrophobic setup of a murderer squeezing out of a sting operation set by expert FBI profiler Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills) for a psychological drama about a sociopath coming to terms with his own true nature, "Trap" successfully delivers a one-of-a-kind experience that we simply don't get enough of these days. In an IP-dominated system practically built around the idea of giving people exactly what they want, no more and no less, at least Shyamalan remains a steady presence who is unafraid to shake up the status quo and put the needs of his story above all else — no matter how unexpected it may be. 

"Trap" is now playing in theaters.