Movie Review

Josh Hartnett navigates odd role in M. Night Shyamalan thriller Trap

Josh Hartnett in Trap.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Writer/director M. Night Shymalan has been a big presence in movies for 25 years since the debut of his 1999 breakout film, The Sixth Sense. In 2024, he is doing everything in his power to pass his film legacy down to his daughters, first by producing The Watchers, the directorial debut of his daughter Ishana, and now by putting another daughter, Saleka, at the heart of his latest directing effort, Trap.

The thriller follows Cooper (Josh Hartnett) and his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), as they attend a concert by her favorite singer, Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan). While Riley is enthralled with the whole experience of being in the presence of Lady Raven, Cooper can’t help noticing a police presence that is larger than normal. Buddying up to a friendly vendor named Jamie (Jonathan Langdon), he discovers that the police have used the concert as a trap for a notorious serial killer nicknamed “The Butcher.”

It’s only a small spoiler (it’s featured prominently in the trailer) that Cooper is revealed early in the film to be said killer, and he spends the majority of the film trying to figure out how to escape the dragnet the police, led by profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), have planned out. His schemes get increasingly desperate, with seemingly no chance to get out without putting his daughter and others in danger.

The film is a change for Shyamalan, who typically likes to build up to a big twist toward the end of his stories. Here, the “twist” comes so early that it can’t even be considered one. Instead, it forces the audience into an odd experience of watching a lead character who has the dichotomy between being a great father to his daughter and a monster who kidnaps and kills people. Shyamalan shows both sides of Cooper throughout the film, putting him in Jekyll and Hyde mode constantly.

The story as a whole is hit-and-miss, with Cooper’s machinations being the most engaging part of the film. Some of the situations do start to get silly, especially after he nabs a police radio and starts listening to Dr. Grant lay out loads of exposition for the audience. The script is also sketchy, with Cooper engaging with a series of people in conversations that are often inane in nature, and lots of “just go with it” kinds of plot devices.

There has been much talk about “nepo babies” in pop culture in recent years, but this film might take the cake in that respect. It’d be one thing for Shyamalan to give Saleka, a budding singer in the real world, the honor of playing the massively adored Lady Raven and showcasing her songs/singing ability. But she also plays a key acting role in the second half of the film, and suffice it to say that she’s not quite ready for prime time in that area.

Hartnett is enjoying a career resurgence, with a big part in last year’s Oppenheimer and a cameo on season 3 of FX’s The Bear. His portrayal of Cooper strains believability at times, but he ends up on the positive side of the ledger when all is said and done. Donoghue doesn’t have much to do other than cheer for Lady Raven and wonder why her dad keeps disappearing in the middle of the concert, but she does well overall. The aging Mills is saddled with a raspy voice and clunky dialogue.

Trap is far from the best film that M. Night Shyamalan has released, but it’s also not an unmitigated disaster. It’s a decent thriller that could have used a bit more thrills, and a psychological trip into the mind of a man who has to fight to keep his opposing worlds separate.

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Trap is now playing in theaters.

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Movie review

Nick Jonas steals song from Paul Rudd in music-heavy Power Ballad

Photo by David Cleary for Lionsgate

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd in Power Ballad.

Writer/director John Carney is one of the great purveyors of movies featuring music (as opposed to musicals) in the 21st century. Starting with Once in 2007 (which was turned into a Broadway musical several years later), he has made music-themed stories like Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad.

Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a former wannabe rock star who is now the lead singer of “Ireland’s #1 Wedding Band,” The Bride & Grooves. While they mostly play smaller weddings, a gig at a country estate leads to an encounter with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band member struggling to make it as a solo artist. Rick and Danny wind up bonding in a booze- and pot-filled jam session, sharing various song ideas.

After returning to Los Angeles and desperate for a hit, Danny steals one of Rick’s songs, which miraculously turns into the No. 1 “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Rick, initially overjoyed that something he wrote has become big, is crushed when he finds out Danny didn’t give him credit. His quest to find a way to prove his worth sends him into a spiral, upending the ordinary life he had built.

Co-written by Peter McDonald, the film is a nice exploration of two men trying to hold on to their music dreams. Their individual circumstances could not be more different, but each of them knows the ups and downs of the business as well as the other, as well as the ineffable magic of creating that one great song. While the music scenes are hit-and-miss because of a reliance on lip synching, the scene featuring Rick and Danny trading ideas is electric with creativity.

Oddly, though, the film could have used a bit less music and more of a focus on the two men’s personal lives. Rick wound up living in Ireland after falling in love with his future wife, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), while on tour with his former American band. He spends a decent amount of time with her and his daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), but his story needed a few more family scenes to drive the point home. Danny’s personal life is all but nonexistent, giving his arc less impact than it could have had.

Instead of loved ones, Carney and McDonald try to give Rick and Danny more depth through friends and business associates. Rick’s bandmate Sandy (McDonald) is a ride-or-die kind of guy for him, but his presence is only good for a few humorous distractions. Danny’s manager Mac (Jack Reynor) is difficult to parse, as he goes to bat for Danny on multiple occasions, but also seems to keep him at arm’s length.

It’s long been joked that Rudd never ages, and that youthfulness serves him well in this role, in which his character is supposed to be much younger than his actual age of 57. His energy and enthusiasm make his character appealing throughout, even when Rick starts to go off the deep end. Jonas is decent in his role, selling the music side well, but there might be a reason his character doesn’t have many scenes requiring him to show emotions.

While Power Ballad has all the hallmarks of another great Carney music movie, it’s missing a few pieces that could have put it over the top. It’s still a fun film with an insanely catchy song at its center, but it’s not quite as memorable as most of the filmmaker’s previous efforts.

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Power Ballad is now playing in theaters.

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