This whole movie? It’s a trap
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Even when he misses, and boy, can he miss, M. Night Shyamalan continues to have one of the most compelling careers in Hollywood. The director’s more recent efforts have gotten less twisty than his best-known works, but he reliably serves up tense, high-concept, and refreshingly original films. His latest is Trap; after a respectable run at the box office, Trap will be available to purchase digitally at midnight, Aug 30 ET/ 9:00 PT Aug 29 on services like Prime Video and Apple TV. Though it’s still in theaters, it’s available to buy for $24.99 in SD, HD, or UHD formats and will be available to rent for $19.99.
The film stars Josh Hartnett as Cooper, a loving dad accompanying his daughter to an Eras-tour-esque concert. Cooper is also a serial killer called “the Butcher,” who the police have cornered (or, rather, trapped) within the confines of the stadium (this is hardly a spoiler — it’s in the marketing and becomes clear well within the first act).
What Streaming Service Will Trap Be On?
Trap is not available to stream yet. The film is only available to buy or rent on sites like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. For M. Night fans who’d rather wait for Trap to hit streaming, it’s all but guaranteed to land on Max. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, which, along with Max, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The DVD and Blu-Ray release date is set for November 5, and can be pre-ordered now on Target or Amazon.
Hartnett has recently leaned into his “indie weirdo” status, telling Rolling Stone he was drawn to Shyamalan’s script because of its originality. “It’s like looking at Die Hard through the eyes of Hans Gruber … It’s high-concept entertainment, meant for a large audience, but it’s completely new. We don’t need IP or a previous movie to create a sequel for it to be entertaining for the audience. That doesn’t happen so much anymore.”
Rolling Stone‘s David Fear dubbed the film an “[instant] camp classic,” writing, “[W]e look forward to attending one of those midnight reclamation-revival screenings à la Showgirls, where everyone screams the dialogue and dresses like Hartnett’s normcore Norman Bates, a decade from now.” While the film’s narrative may strain credulity, Hartnett’s performance has earned genuine praise for his deft ability to weave between a corny, doting dad and a menace to society.
Trap is as much about hunting serial killers as it is about being a girl dad, and this year, M. Night Shyamalan solidified his status as the ultimate girl dad. He produced his daughter Ishana’s directorial debut, The Watchers, starring Dakota Fanning. Trap‘s fictitious pop star, Lady Raven, is played by his daughter Saleka, who wrote and performed the songs in the film.
