I sat in the cinema waiting for someone to say it was a joke. This is the most disappointing thriller of the summer

M. Night Shyamalan delighted audiences and critics in 1999, when he presented the world with “The Sixth Sense” with Bruce Willis. Since then, the title has filled all possible tops of films with the most surprising endings in the history of cinema. Thanks to the production, Shyamalan began to be called the new Spielberg and the master of plot twists. After 25 years since the premiere of the thriller, it can be seen that the aforementioned label has only harmed the director.

M. Night Shyamalan and the “curse of ‘The Sixth Sense'”

On the wave of growing popularity of superhero films, Shyamalan deconstructed the myths about the knitters and created a great production – “Unbreakable”. It received two more parts. “Split” was a decent sequel, and “Glass” a poor ending to the story. The fate of the trilogy well illustrates the problem that the director began to face after the premiere of “The Sixth Sense”. The creator realizes his unconventional visions with the help of outstanding actors. He knows how to implement even the most absurd ideas on paper in an engaging way and make them really work on the screen. Unfortunately, for a time. It is difficult for a director to put a clear dot over the i’s and provide the viewer with a satisfying closure of the action.

“The curse of the ‘Sixth Sense'” can also be seen in Shyamalan’s next big productions. We expected an exciting plot twist in “Signs” and “The Village”. We were also looking for it in the director’s latest work, especially because of the plot core of “The Trap”, which seems to be based on an almost unbelievable idea.

But let’s start from the beginning. “The Trap” with Josh Hartnett is about a father who takes his daughter Riley to a concert of a big pop star – Lady Raven. A hall filled to the brim with teenagers turns out to be the titular trap set up by the FBI to catch a serial killer. I repeat: a hall filled with kids as a trap for a serial killer. I find it hard to believe that American services would risk the lives of thousands of people, mainly teenagers, to catch a criminal. However, the creators tried to explain this move with an impressive number of armed officers who will cover almost every door in the facility.

Shyamalan fell into his own trap. We review the director’s latest film

An additional argument for the validity of this idea was a person surrounded by a mystical fog of mystery – Dr. Josephine Grant. The heroine was presented to us as almost infallible in her profession. She was responsible for creating a profile of the murderer, and based on the doctor’s description, the entire police action was prepared. Far-fetched? How so, and that’s not even half the film.

The festival of true absurdity begins here, when the film suggests to us that the wanted murderer is Cooper, Riley’s father. The hero (you won’t believe it!), in accordance with the profile created by Grant, does not attack anyone, maintains relative calm and tries to find a way out of the stalemate. And here, unfortunately, the film wastes all its potential.

The idea of ​​locking a serial killer in a trap with no way out was great. It created the opportunity to watch from the sidelines as the man must maintain control over his growing panic while simultaneously developing two plans – escape and remaining credible in the role of a loving father. For these plots, if they were handled well (spoiler: they are not), one could overlook the aforementioned lazy solutions. Unfortunately, they are only just beginning.

Cooper seems not only a genius, but above all a child of luck. For the next hour he always stands in the right place, meets the right people, opens the right doors, and on the list of cases that are kind of lifelines thrown right in the face of the main character, the only thing missing is a policeman who, in pursuit of a criminal, stumbles on a banana peel. If that had happened, the level of credibility of the film would not have been shaken in the slightest, really.

“The Trap” Won’t Break Shyamalan’s Bad Streak

The worst part of the production, however, begins only when we leave the building where Lady Raven performed. The intensity of plot holes, long scenes and distracting, yet painfully predictable, plot twists, becomes unbearable then. Until the last minute, however, I believed that Shyamalan had an idea for this and would get out of it. He had it, but he didn’t get out of it. Although one cannot deny “The Trap” a few very successful elements.

The most important of them is the main character. Cooper was brilliantly written and even better played by Josh Harnett. He had all the tools to convince us that his analytical thinking, cleverness and self-control would save him from any situation. Unfortunately, he was entrenched in downright idiotic plot solutions that spoil the show and trivialize the character himself. Too bad. It was delicious to watch Harnett maneuver between two personalities and in a split second change from a psychopath to a caring parent.

In addition, the film skillfully and very naturally combines elements of a thriller and a comedy. Smooth transitions between the tones of the production do not tear you away from the feeling of anxiety, but only increase the tension. And Shyamalan builds it masterfully, despite everything. Unfortunately, only for the viewer to collect it throughout the screening and leave with a heavy sigh after the cruelly poor finale.