Trap

While Shyamalan has an eye for a Hitchcockian “aha” moment and a great sense of suspense, he stretches willing suspension of disbelief just a little too far, making Trap more of an acting showcase than a thriller masterclass.

It's not as good as his best work; it's not as bad as his worst work, but it does encapsulate the thing that makes [Shyamalan] so infuriating.

For some, puzzling out the “big twist” will be enough to sustain interest in the enjoyable, if nonsensical, third act. The real twist, for me, was realizing that The Sixth Sense came out 25 years ago.

Trap is a reminder that Shyamalan is one of the few A-List directors who still seems dedicated to original storytelling, and even when the scripts don’t quite fully deliver on their elaborate premises...

Hartnett does his best, but director Shyamalan seems more interested in trying to convince us of his daughter's pop-star credentials.

The whole film is a stunt, and a goof – sometimes simply too silly to get suspense ticking at all, but often cheekily outrageous.

I can’t say this is the worst movie of 2024, but it has some of the worst dialogue I have heard by far. I think different sections of this journey might've made a stronger short film.

Trap is not without its deeper dimensions. The surface is all thrills and chills, but slowly in his script Shyamalan also interweaves this rumination on identity.

The performances from both [Josh Hartnett and Alison Pill] are just stellar – so much tension and emotional stakes. Hartnett also delivers the best pie acting since James Franco in Spider-Man 3.

The highlight of the whole film might be the bit part played by Kid Cudi in absolute diva/bitch mode.