Summary
M. Night Shyamalan’s newest movieTrapfollows a serial killer attending a concert with his daughter, and unfortunately for the famous director,Trapisn’t Shyamalan’s highest-reviewed project.The psychological thriller film, directed and written by Shyamalan, was released on June 11, 2025, and has received mixed reactions from critics, with some hating it and others finding it entertaining.Shyamalan has always been a polarizing filmmaker,so the varied reviews for the 2024 movie aren’t surprising. But the fact thatTraphas Shyamalan’s worstRotten Tomatoesscore in five yearsis disappointing.
M. Night Shyamalan’s next movie, which he is only producing, isCaddo Lake,a thriller directed and written by Celine Held and Logan George.Caddo Lakestars Dylan O’Brien and chronicles the disappearance of a young girl at Caddo Lake, which is located on the border between Texas and Louisiana in real life.
As partially mentioned above,Trapcenters around a serial killer known as “the Butcher,“who the FBI learns will be in attendance at a Lady Raven (played by Saleka Shyamalan) concert. However, the Butcher, who is revealed to be Josh Hartnett’s Cooper Adams early on in the film, learns of the FBI’s trap before the concert and works to evade capture at the venue.Trap’s premise is certainly intriguing and unique, but the movie’s execution still fell flat for some critics.
What Critics Like About M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap
Trap Is A Fun & Entertaining Thriller
Sometimes a movie’s bad reviews are louder than its good ones, but forTrap, many critics enjoyed the 2024 psychological thriller and made their opinions known. To summarize, those who awardedM. Night Shyamalan’sTrapwithpositive reviews praised the film for its dark humor,intense scenes that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats, and Josh Hartnett’s performance as the central character. Many claimed that whileTrapisn’t Shyamalan’s best work, the thriller is fun and entertaining enough to satisfy the audience.Entertainment Weekly’s Jordan Hoffman wrote in theirTrapreview:
“Watching [Josh] Hartnett attempt to stay cool on the outside while he’s freaking out on the inside is terrific, and the screenplay takes great delight in amping up the tension with several ridiculous curveballs.”
TheAssociated Press' Lindsey Bahr was also fond of Shyamalan’s 2024 movie, writing:
“We keep wanting Shyamalan to somehow give us The Sixth Sense or Signs again. Trap is not either of those. This is a popcorn movie, with a surprising turn from an underrated star. And ultimately, it’s a pretty fun time at the theater.”
Ultimately, many who gave the psychological thriller positive reviews did so simply because they had a good timewatchingTrap. The premise might be absurd, but it’s engaging, andHartnett apparently made the ride worthwhile.Unfortunately, not everyone thought so.
What’s Wrong With Trap Based On Reviews
On the flip side, those who gave M. Night Shyamalan’s 2024 moviepoor reviews were unhappy withTrap’s twistsand far-fetched script.Some critics also felt as if its story lacked substance, resulting in an unsatisfying beginning, middle, and ending.Variety’s Owen Gleiberman, who definitely was not a fan ofTrap,shared in his review of the film:
“Asking an audience to go with something that is this fundamentally far-fetched borders on an insult. More to the point: It’s not fun.”
Meanwhile, Adam Graham fromDetroit Newsagrees with Gleiberman thatTrap’s premise is “laughable” and “implausible.” Graham wrote:
“A silly jumble of half-ideas that confounds at every turn. Shyamalan usually waits for a twist ending to topple his movies, but this time he’s off the rails right from the very start.”
I Dare You To Watch Josh Hartnett’s Upcoming Horror Movie Right After Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
The new horror film Trap starring Josh Hartnett makes me wonder what would happen if a serial killer attends the Taylor Swift Era’s Tour.
How Trap’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Compares To M. Night Shyamalan’s Movies
Trapis not the first M. Night Shyamalan film to receive mixed reviews from critics. His projects have been the subject of many disputes over the course of his decades-long career. FromThe Villagein 2004 toOldin 2021, many have argued about whether Shyamalan’s movies are good. Whatever the case, Shyamalan is still a renowned, Oscar-nominated director, who is known for his twists and thrilling stories.Trapmay not beShyamalan’s best movie, but it’s not his worst,and even if the reviews are mixed, that means that a good portion of people who saw the thriller enjoyed it.
45%
66%
86%
90%
70%
77%
75%
67%
44%
57%
Lady in the Water
25%
49%
18%
24%
5%
30%
12%
36%
68%
52%
78%
79%
37%
50%
53%
Knock at the Cabin
63%
48%
65%
Shyamalan’s film with the worstRotten TomatoesscoreisThe Last Airbender,which has a five percent on the Tomatometer. The filmmaker’shighest-reviewed movie is (to no one’s surprise)The Sixth Sense,which has an 86 percent score on the Tomatometer. Meanwhile, many of Shyamalan’s other films lay somewhere in the middle, meaning thatTrapfalls in line with the director’s status onRotten Tomatoes.
Trap
Cast
Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner.
