“Trap” by M. Night Shyamalan Reveals a Twisting Thriller From an Unusual Point of View

Trap, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, has an official trailer that teases a twisting thriller from an unusual angle.

Horror and psychological thrillers are the genres for which director M. Night Shyamalan is most recognised. Old and Knock at the Cabin are two of his most recent motion pictures, both of which had mediocre reviews. This year, two of Shyamalan’s films, including Trap, will be released. Apart from Trap, he was also the producer of The Watchers, a supernatural horror movie directed by his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan. In addition, Ishana directed second units on Knock at the Cabin and Old. But Trap is the only movie this year that Shyamalan has officially announced he will be writing, directing, and producing himself.

Warner Bros. drops Trap’s trailer after setting new release date

Warner Bros. has changed the official release date of Trap a little bit. August 2 was the original scheduled release date for the film in the United States. But that date has been rescheduled for August 9—a few days earlier. The film will now be released on the same day as The Fire Inside, Borderlands, Cuckoo, and My Penguin Friend, instead of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Warner Bros. did not offer a justification for the change. The official trailer for Trap was released by Warner Bros. a few days after the release adjustment was made.

The trailer opens innocently enough, showing a father and daughter making their way to Lady Raven’s concert. But when the father asks about the copious police presence at the performance, things take a tragic turn. It seems that the entire concert is one big hoax after authorities get a tip about the presence of The Butcher, a serial killer. Because of this, they won’t let anyone go until the murderer is located and captured. The father discovers he has a prisoner in his basement when he takes out his phone to view the security camera footage from his home, which is the biggest shock of all. The father seems to be The Butcher, and the main focus of the film will be on his attempts to get out of the trap that has been set for him.

The official synopsis for Trap reads, “A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”  explains the official synopsis for Trap. Josh Hartnett, who starred in Penny Dreadful, has been confirmed to be the father who has no name in the trailer. Saleka Shyamalan, the director’s daughter, will portray Lady Raven. Alongside Malik Jubal, Ty Pravong, Peter D’Souza, Kaitlyn Dallan, Karina, and Kristopher Grzella as singers and dancers, the film also stars Hayley Mills as Dr. Grant, Vanessa Smythe as a tour manager, and Marnie McPhail as Jody’s mother.

There’s no denying Trap has a compelling story, even though Warner Bros. has been keeping most of the facts under wraps. It was widely believed that the father and daughter at the core of the story would fall prey to a concert gone awry. It’s shocking to discover that The Butcher himself appears to be telling the story in the film. The storyline is still unclear as to how the father will get away without his daughter finding out what he is hiding, whether or not he is The Butcher, and whether or not Shyamalan is deceiving the audience to reveal a far bigger twist.