The Mosley Review: Trap
What a year the horror and thriller film genre is having so far am I right? I don't think I have seen this many major horror or thriller releases this far into the year since maybe the early 2000's when the supernatural and found footage wave was at its highest. Its always good to see a good edge of your seat thriller sprinkled into the summer season to counter act the other blockbusters. The filmmaker behind this new thriller is no stranger to the genre and maybe not all of his films have been that great, but he has been on a up swing lately and this film was another example of it. We usually see the perspective of the detectives on the chase of the psycho killer and occasionally check in with the killer as we get closer to the end of the story. This film does away with that and you are firmly planted in the killer's perspective and it was thrilling and nerve-wracking to see him constantly trying to find a way to escape. I loved that the main trap that is set for him isn't the only one he has to worry about. Its a father and daughter experience like no other and the amount of stress was well balanced and kept me curiously engaged with every effort taken to get out.
Josh Hartnett has never stopped being amazing and I love the resurgence he's having. As Cooper "The Butcher" Adams, he was fantastic as he balanced the loveable and kind father figure exterior with the stressed caged animal within him. I really appreciated that the details to the characters' many ticks and personality traits was wisely shown and not explained out right. It was amazing to see him try to keep the act up while not only watching every move of the police and not tip them off or his wonderful daughter. Ariel Donoghue was outstanding as his daughter Riley and her genuine wonder and fangirling was pure and fun to watch. The chemistry between Ariel and Josh was immediate from the first 30 seconds they were on screen together. The emotional rollercoaster she goes through as the film progresses was excellent and sometimes its not on screen and yet you feel it. Jonathan Langdon was fun as the merchandise seller, Jaimie. I liked his bright outlook on life and there was a fear that he would become one of Cooper's victims because I liked him so much. Alison Pill is always amazing and as Cooper's wife, Rachel, you get a taste of the life they built together and you see why Cooper wants to keep his secret life separate. I always find it fascinating to meet the detective or analysts searching for the murderer and Hayley Mills did a fantastic job as the psychologist, Dr. Josephine Grant. You get to hear her decipher Cooper in many triggering ways and how she conducted the hunt was great. I do wish there was a moment between her and Cooper, but her dialogue did the work for the audience. Saleka Shyamalan makes her on screen debut as Lady Raven and she did an excellent job. Not only is she an excellent singer and performer, but she stood toe to toe with Josh Hartnett in a number of superbly acted scenes.
The score by Herdís Stefánsdóttir was good as the amount of tension is maintained in some of the more subtle moments. The rest of the film is scored by Lady Raven and kind of kept the tempo of the story moving. The lighting and color scheme is a hallmark of M. Night Shyamalan and it informs you of the mood switches and tension building. Like I said before, I loved that the many layers of Cooper were mainly explored visually instead of verbally. It made me wonder if the many things he said were true and added that extra layer of intrigue. The problems I had were mainly in the last quarter of the film as we seem to rush past alot of things and there is some real lapse of logic and judgement that lead to a predictable and avoidable outcome. In the end, this was a fun psychological thriller that wisely keeps you in the head of a killer as you feel the rope around him become taut and the tension unrelenting. Do stay for a fun mid credit scene that ties a funny bow on a character's arc. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
