Summary
The latest M. Night Shyamalan movieTrapnailed one of the most annoying things about concerts nowadays.Josh Hartnett stars as a serial killer disguised as a supportive father inTrap, which also features the feature film debut of Shyamalan’s daughter Saleka as pop singer Lady Raven, who plays a major role inthe cast ofTrap. Saleka’s Lady Raven sings and performs throughoutTrapat a concert venue where Hartnett’s Cooper is being set up. Most of theoriginal music inTrapwas made specifically by Saleka under her fictional pop star name Lady Raven.
Traphas received mixed reviewsafter being released in theaters on July 26, 2025. WhileTrapmay not go down as one ofHartnett’s all-time best movies, debuting with a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 44%, it still has a great chance of being profitable at the box office after meeting its opening weekend box office expectations with a $15.6 million worldwide gross.Trap’sRotten Tomatoes critic score has improved to 55% as of the time of writing, with a positive audience score of 65% to go along with it.
Trap Subtly Critiques How Much People Use Their Phones During Concerts
Traptakes note of a common complaint among everyday concert-goers. Cooper notices how many people are recording the concert with their phones instead of actually just enjoying it. This could be considered as an aspect of Cooper being a “boomer” and senselessly complaining about the new normal that exists nowadays. Still, Cooper points it out several times, and Shyamalan makes sure to highlight it as part of his filmmaking process.
Cooper tries to get creative many times throughoutTrapso that he can avoid getting caught. This leaves his daughter Riley completely perplexed and thinking there’s something wrong with him, which there obviously is. Cooper spends the whole film trying to get away from his inevitable capture but he is in so deep that there is really no way to escape despite his best efforts. The fact that people use their phones throughoutTraphighlights a common complaint that Cooper uses to his advantage.
Trap’s Annoyance With Phones Extends Beyond Concerts
Even looking at this in relation to movie theaters, where it’s become more common for audiences to record segments, take pictures of different scenes, or just be on them to text or play games or something, Cooper’s frustration is valid. While Cooper is obviously proven to be a psychopathic serial killer, he does make a fair point about the use of phones in concerts, which extends to movie theaters as well.Trapis still screening in theaters as of the time of writing.
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.
