Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Trap 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Trap is an edge-of-your-seat thriller from one of the modern masters-of-suspense M. Night Shyamalan (Split, Knock at the Cabin). Executive produced by Steven Schneider (Knock at the Cabin, Glass), Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Ariel Donoghue, and Jonathan Langdon. Produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock (Split, Knock at the Cabin), Ashwin Rajan (Old, Glass), Scott Friend (To The Moon, The Dark End of the Street), and Jeff Robinson (Old, Caddo Lake), Trap takes one of the main arenas of an M. Night production – the plot twist – and turns it on its head with the reveal happening in the theatrical trailer (the protagonist is the villain).

Cooper (Josh Hartnett) takes his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see a pop concert by the mysterious idol Lady Raven  (Saleka Night Shyamalan). As Cooper enters the concert venue, he soon notices dozens of F.B.I. agents swarming around the event. Alarmed by the high police volume at the concert, Cooper asks merchandise salesman Jamie (Jonathan Langdon) if he knows why there is such a large police presence at the concert. Jamie spills the beans – a notorious serial killer known as “the Butcher” is supposed to be in attendance at the concert – and the F.B.I. devised the concert as an elaborate trap to stop the killer.

The ensemble does an impressive job with Trap. Josh Hartnett provides one of his strongest performances to date as the cold- and-calculating serial killer, known as “the Butcher” – playing a dramatic role with the core of the performance focused on Cooper as a firefighter and family-man. Hartnett drew inspiration from personas sensed from big-wigs in the industry and wealthy socialites.

Playing against type, Hartnett proves to be a perfect casting choice for the lead protagonist. Hartnett is suave, cool, and sinister in a way that is hard to shake. The character seems like a wonderful family-man on the surface but the sinister darkness within lurks out of the shadows and into the realm of the cat-and-mouse game that Shyamalan has created. As the performance unfolds, the audience goes from sensing a warm familiarity to a common-man and his love for his daughter to the calculating and sociopathic tendencies of a ruthless killer.

Saleka Night Shyamalan earns her own stripes and impresses with a strong performance in Trap. Despite the obvious inclination some might have to shout “nepotism” because of the collaboration, the truth is more appreciable – one can sense the pride of M. Night Shyamalan for his daughter, Saleka, and the desire to work with her on a special project. (The same collaborative nature is true between M. Night Shyamalan and his filmmaker daughter, Ishana Shyamalan (The Watchers), who collaborated with her father on several films are second-unit director while also contributing to M. Night Shyamalan’s series, Servant.) Saleka is beautiful, fierce, and talented. Saleka has a great screen presence and manages to draw one in to the world of the concert with her pop-star worthy performances. (One can easily be forgiven for mistaking Lady Raven as one of the biggest real-life stars in modern pop-culture). When things escalate in the second half of the film, Saleka has more time in shine and show her acting chops, providing some quiet and understated depth that adds more emotional weight and gravitas to the finale.

Ariel Donoghue is terrific as the teenage daughter of “the Butcher” and her energy and enthusiasm for the concert is something that consistently feels real. The performance is surprisingly nuanced and she has to play off against Josh Hartnett without losing his momentum as a performer. The result? Ariel delivers a tremendous performance and one that showcases the father-daughter dynamic that is simultaneously explored between both Riley and Cooper as well as that of M. Night Shyamalan and his real-life daughter, Saleka. The family dynamic is one of the most interesting qualities about Trap and it plays an essential role in the filmmaking.

Trap features strong supporting performances by other cast members in the ensemble.  Alison Pill provides a darkly macabre turn during the final act as Cooper’s spouse Rachel. Hayley Mills gives a noteworthy performance as the head of the F.B.I. unit leading the search for “the Butcher” and her performance is one that is grounded while also fun. (Keen observers will also notice that Mills made her name with the Disney classic The Parent Trap – surely, non-coincidental casting, perhaps?) Kid Cudi gives a fun and memorable supporting performance as “The Thinker” and the scene-stealer is none other than the great Jonathan Langdon as Jamie, the concert venue salesman who lets go of more than just the plot-twist reveal – Jamie accidentally helps the killer. Langdon is one of the best supporting actors, providing a great turn in the thriller.

The production is well-done and the sense of scale is enormous. The production design by Debbie DeVilla (Caddo Lake, Maria Full of Grace) is a great contribution to the feature-film. The concert manages to feel larger-than-life itself with the venue and environment feeling big-budget while operating on the actual production budget of 30 million (which was easily surpassed with box-office exceeding 80 million).

Trap features top-notch art direction by Aleks Cameron (How to Die Alone, What We Do in the Shadows) and Stephen Depko (Skymed, See No Evil). The set decoration by Brittany Morrison (Possessor, Dream Scenario) add to the production, too. As does the costuming by costume designer Caroline Duncan (Knock at the Cabin, Servant). The costumes are well-done for the central characters, including the costuming for Lady Raven.

The cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Challengers, Suspiria) is one of the most beautiful qualities of the film. Trap features stunning cinematography that perfectly lenses the concert setting. Featuring traditional shot-on-film cinematography, Trap looks incredible and is another testament to the collaborative nature Shyamalan creates with each of his feature-films taking on a distinct aesthetic for the spectacle to shine.

Edited by Noemi Katharina Preiswerk (Servant, Knock at the Cabin), Trap is well-paced and well- executed mayhem. The concept is well laid out and the editing carefully maneuvers the film by showcasing the suspense at its best. A well-cut film and showcase for Preiswerk.

One of the most fundamental aspects of Trap is the music. The score composed by Herdís Stefánsdóttir (Knock at the Cabin, The Sun Is Also a Star) adds a lot to the production and provides some suspense throughout. The score is an essential ingredient to the filmmaking. The music is also enhanced by the superb songs by Saleka Night Shyamalan. Saleka Night Shyamalan performs songs as Lady Raven and even though the “pop-idol” is a cinematic creation, Lady Raven is a showstopper. Lady Raven performs great tracks including hits such as “Release”, “Divine” and “Save Me” – making the concert-setting all the more believable and engaging. (In fact, the entire Lady Raven album is a great listen and makes a fantastic accompaniment to the film. Make sure to listen to the album.)

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Unbreakable, Split), Trap is a showstopper for the iconic filmmaker. Shyamalan created one of his best-yet concepts for Trap and the film offers plenty of suspense, thrills, and excitement. As anyone in my close-knit family or friends can attest to, M. Night Shyamalan is one of the filmmakers I revere most, and it has been wonderful to see M. Night Shyamalan regain so much of his original cool-factor with his past several films offering his dedicated fanbase more thrills and suspense that only someone as talented as M. Night Shyamalan can create.

Trap breaks past the barriers of plot-twists and gives audiences a more straightforward thriller but it’s a fantastic thrill ride and one that entertains from start to finish. One can sense the poetic undertone of the storytelling being about the struggles to be a good father – represented both with Cooper’s desire to be a good dad (while being a psychopathic serial killer) and M. Night Shyamalan’s own struggles (being there for his daughters while focusing on his filmmaking career – the collaborative nature of Trap an intertwined example of how personal a film Trap is for M. Night Shyamalan – working with his own daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan.)

Trap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Warner Bros., Trap is presented in HEVC / H.265 in 2160p in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The 4K presentation is astonishing and something incredible. The presentation features HDR10 and Dolby Vison metadata. The 4K presentation is native (from a shot-on-film 4K master format digital intermediate). The 4K DI looks incredible and preserves the 35mm negative format. The colors are robust and engaging, with the concert setting looking quite vibrant and immersive. The high-resolution format of the video provides a pristine transfer with razor sharp details and fidelity. The HDR is also well-handled and the high-dynamic-range brings out the best in the presentation – the inky-black deeps and the deep reds and blues are well-preserved. As a result, the transfer is more immersive and engaging. A near- flawless 4K presentation.

Trap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English Dolby Atmos. The Dolby Atmos surround track is engaging and a lot of fun. The soundstaging capably brings to life the atmosphere of the presentation and the surround format is well-utilized for the overhead channels and atmospheric audio effects at the concert. An immersive sound design and one that fully utilizes the Atmos format. The lossless encoding offering pristine clarity and detail.

Trap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the release includes an o-card slipcover. The release comes with only a 4K UHD disc (with the bonus features included on the same disc). The release comes with a digital copy code.

Setting the Trap: A New M. Night Shyamalan Experience (HD, 4:08) is a brief but entertaining behind-the-scenes with interview footage. The piece could have been more in-depth but it was enjoyable. Certainly worth watching.

Saleka as Lady Raven (HD, 5:08) provides a look at Saleka in her role as the pop superstar.

Deleted Scenes (HD, 6:16) –

Cooper Gets Stopped by SWAT

Riley Shows Lady Raven Her Room

Cooper Takes a Hostage and Slips Away

These deleted scenes are entertaining and add to the experience. Each deleted scene is well worth watching. The first two scenes feel understandably edited from the film on some level but are still entertaining to watch as deleted segments. The third deleted scene, Cooper Takes a Hostage and Slips Away, was arguably preferable for me to the version included in the theatrical cut – as it shows a more in-depth version of Cooper escaping before the grand finale – whereas in the theatrical version he walks away with less emphasis on how he managed to escape. Absolutely watch this deleted scene to see an alternate version that is arguably superior.

Extended Concert Scene: Where Did She Go (HD, 3:29) is an entertaining and worthwhile extended music piece and it certainly is a nice note to end the supplements on.

Trap 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Trap is an elaborate cat-and-mouse game. The trap is set for the serial killer. Can the serial killer survive the show? M. Night Shyamalan provides an entertaining powerhouse of suspense and thrills for audiences looking for a suspenseful thriller. Josh Hartnett delivers a knockout performance as Cooper, Ariel Donoghue is superb as Riley, and Saleka Night Shyamalan is top-notch as pop-star Lady Raven.

The 4K UHD release features an incredible 2160p native 4K UHD presentation. The 4K D.I. looks superb and the flawless presentation shines with outstanding high-dynamic range. The Dolby Atmos audio is invigorating and a spectacle in and of itself. The release also comes with a nice (albeit brief) set of supplements, well-worth watching. M. Night Shyamalan proves once again why he is one of the most gifted filmmakers working in genre filmmaking. Highly recommended.