48% Rotten Tomatoes Score Explained

M. Night Shyamalan’s newest movie Trap follows a serial killer attending a concert with his daughter, and unfortunately for the famous director, Trap isn’t Shyamalan’s highest-reviewed project. The psychological thriller film, directed and written by Shyamalan, was released on August 2, 2024, 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 that Trap has Shyamalan’s worst Rotten Tomatoes score in five years is disappointing.

As partially mentioned above, Trap centers 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 for Trap, many critics enjoyed the 2024 psychological thriller and made their opinions known. To summarize, those who awarded M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap with positive 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 while Trap isn’t Shyamalan’s best work, the thriller is fun and entertaining enough to satisfy the audience. Entertainment Weekly‘s Jordan Hoffman wrote in their Trap review:

“Watching [Josh] Hartnett try 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.”

The Associated 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 time watching Trap. The premise might be absurd, but it’s engaging, and Hartnett apparently made the ride worthwhile. Unfortunately, not everyone thought so.

What’s Wrong With Trap Based On Reviews

Bad Reviews Claim Trap’s Twists Fall Flat

On the flip side, those who gave M. Night Shyamalan’s 2024 movie poor reviews were unhappy with Trap‘s twists and 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 of Trap, 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 from Detroit News agrees with Gleiberman that Trap‘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.”

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How Trap’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Compares To M. Night Shyamalan’s Movies

Trap is 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. From The Village in 2004 to Old in 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. Trap may not be Shyamalan’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.

Shyamalan’s film with the worst Rotten Tomatoes score is The Last Airbender, which has a five percent on the Tomatometer. The filmmaker’s highest-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 that Trap falls in line with the director’s status on Rotten Tomatoes.

Trap

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. 

Release Date

August 2, 2024

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures , New Line Cinema

Cast

Josh Hartnett , Hayley Mills , Marnie McPhail , Vanessa Smythe , Saleka Shyamalan , Malik Jubal , Jonathan Langdon , Peter D’Souza , Ty Pravong , Kaitlyn Dallan

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, Variety, Detroit News, Rotten Tomatoes