In “Trap”, the latest film from M Night Shyamalan, former teen-heartthrob Josh Hartnett plays Cooper Adams. He is a seemingly congenial family man and firefighter who accompanies his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to the concert of the pop superstar Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). Early into the concert, though, Cooper’s hackles are raised by the extreme police presence. The police are looking for ‘The Butcher’, a serial killer who they expect to be in attendance and who we soon learn is Cooper.
This information is conveyed early on. Even the trailers and promotions for “Trap” have front loaded this complication. For most of the 105 minutes running-time of “Trap” we follow Cooper as he tries to evade capture both in, and outside of, the concert while trying to avoid the suspicion of his daughter. The film is never wholly wonderful, but it’s a prickly and delightfully strange film that I suggest you see before reading a word further. Although “Trap” is not as spoiler-prone as Shyamalan’s most famous works, it’s still enjoyed best without any knowledge of where it goes.