M. Night Shyamalan's Twisty Serial Killer Movie Takes Over Max's Number One Spot

M. Night Shyamalan has had one of the most fascinating careers in Hollywood history. Since falling from grace in the late 2000s, he's gone back to smaller budgets and more contained movies, in the process delivering one banger after another. From the critical and financial success of "Split," to the absolutely wild concept of "Old," Shyamalan has been on a roll in recent years. His latest film, "Trap," is a messy tale of two movies, as /Film's own Jeremy Mathai wrote in his review. One half is a nail-biting, tense thriller about a serial killer trapped at a concert with some rather catchy songs. The other is an increasingly silly, yet still thrilling cat-and-mouse game that changes the protagonist from Josh Hartnett's killer to Saleka Shyamalan's world-famous pop star, Lady Raven.

While "Trap" was only a modest box office success — mostly due to "Deadpool & Wolverine" being the only thing everyone wanted to talk about at the time of its theatrical release — that hasn't prevented the movie from becoming a hit on streaming. Specifically, Shyamalan's latest began conquering the Top 10 on Max in the U.S. the moment it was added to the platform. It makes sense, as the Top 10 on Max is typically dominated by horror and all sorts of spooky titles in the lead-up to Halloween. Not only is "Trap" currently at the number 1 spot (via FlixPatrol), but another Shyamalan production, "Caddo Lake" is also at number 3. Meanwhile, both "X" and "MaXXXine" have rightfully claimed spots on the Top 10 alongside the new "Salem's Lot," "Practical Magic," and even some spooky fun for the whole family like "Scooby-Doo" and "Corpse Bride."

The thing about "Trap" is that it is not just a nifty thriller, but also a rather funny movie, at least if you're into deeply uncomfortable humor. (See Also: Shyamalan literally hiring Hayley Mills from the original "Parent Trap" — emphasis on "Trap" — to be the FBI profiler hunting down Hartnett's Cooper.) Speaking of which, Hartnett continues his renaissance with a powerhouse performance in "Trap" as a serial killer you'd definitely want to invite to your barbecue, playing a rather good dad with a big secret.

"Trap" is also part of an unexpected trend this year of horror movies that are all about stardom, specifically about pop stars, which is also at the heart of the plot of "Smile 2." Together with "The Substance," these thrillers have a shared DNA that can be traced back to the fantastic yet criminally underseen "Vox Lux," a movie that turns stardom into an absolute nightmare. Shyamalan understands this, and he turns it on its head by making Lady Raven the hero of "Trap" in just one of the many ridiculous twists his latest film takes.

"Trap" is currently streaming on Max.