The first reviews for M. Night Shyamalan’s “Trap” are now out and the results are mixed.
With 23 reviews counted, the film sits at 52% (5.8/10) with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, whilst it’s already at 67% (3.6/5) with audiences. On Metacritic it stands at a 61/100.
Josh Hartnett leads the cast as a father and teen daughter who attend a pop concert where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.
You see the father is a serial killer who has been evading the police. The cops plan to use the concert as an attempt to trap the killer but are unaware of his identity.
Here’s a sampling of review quotes:
“We keep wanting Shyamalan to somehow give us The Sixth Sense or Signs again. Trap is not either of those. This is a popcorn movie, with a surprising turn from an underrated star. And ultimately, it’s a pretty fun time at the theater.” – Lindsey Bahr, AP
“It’s perhaps [M. Night Shyamalan’s] best-engineered work since The Village and arguably the purest piece of entertainment he’s ever made.” – Nick Newman, The Film Stage
“The simple premise merely sets the stage for an engaging and highly entertaining thriller that keeps the surprises coming.” – Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
“Trap is entertaining and surprising but lacks a certain level of fun that would’ve raised it to another level…It’s not on the level of [Shyamalan’s] best…but if you’re a fan, or curious about the premise, you’ll enjoy Trap much more than you won’t” – Germain Lussier, io9
“Subverting the genre with an audacious, unexpected structure, M Night. Shyamalan’s “Trap” takes a tonal turn, and evolves into something much darker and more disturbing.” – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist
“Asking an audience to go with something that is this fundamentally farfetched borders on an insult. More to the point: It’s not fun.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Josh Hartnett almost makes “Trap” worth seeing, imbuing his character with a playfulness that can be captivating. It’s just a shame his great work sometimes feels trapped in a movie that doesn’t know what to do with it.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
“Shyamalan again re-establishes himself as one of cinema’s most aggravatingly inconsistent talents.” – Luke Buckmaster, Flicks
“A silly jumble of half-ideas that confounds at every turn. Shyamalan usually waits for a twist ending to topple his movies, but this time he’s off the rails right from the very start.” – Adam Graham, Detroit News
“Trap” wasn’t screened in advance for critics and is now in cinemas with the film tipped to earn between $15-20 million this weekend.
