Summary
- Kid Cudi’s role in horror films like X and Trap showcases his versatility in the genre with a comedic twist.
- The Thinker in Trap draws inspiration from Kid Cudi’s experiences in the music industry, adding a satirical touch.
- Mescudi’s transformation from music superstar to actor has allowed him to fully embrace his on-screen presence.
Scott Mescudi, popularly known as Kid Cudi, has cultivated an impressive acting career, but before his crucial role in M. Night Shyamalan’s newest psychological thriller, Trap, the musician had already proven his horror credentials in a 2022 project. Mescudi has continuously leveraged his superstar status to catapult himself into film and television roles. After jump-starting his acting career in comedies and action pictures, Mescudi has ventured to the darker side of film, embracing horror and thriller flicks with a comedic twist. While his role as The Thinker in Trap is arguably his most high-profile genre appearance, it isn’t his first.
With Trap bringing Kid Cudi back to horror, it’s the perfect time for fans to revisit another acclaimed entry in the genre. The famed musician was also seen in Ti West’s 2022 slasher horror X alongside Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Brittany Snow. Despite these two roles being dramatically different, Shyamalan’s Trap movie serves as a reminder that Scott Mescudi can hold his own in a renowned horror picture and West’s X stands out as Mescudi’s most prominent example of an outstanding horror role.
Related
Every Real-Life Singer & Rapper In Trap
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film Trap features several actual rappers & singers playing fictional famous artists, including Kid Cudi, Russ, & Saleka.
Kid Cudi Starred In Ti West’s X Before Appearing In Trap
The Artist-Turned-Actor Made His Claim To Horror Fame in This A24 Classic
Before exploding into a three-part film series, Ti West and Mia Goth’s horror extravaganza originated as a pandemic movie with haunted house potential. With Scott Mescudi, Sam Levinson, and A24 backing the project, X was shot in 2021 in rural New Zealand with a star-studded cast and a visionary writer-director at the helm. The film features a ragtag group of pornography filmmakers as they stumble into a homicidal elderly couple at a 1970s ranch in Texas. Mia Goth, Brittany Snow, and Scott Mescudi star as the lead cast members of this independent adult film, with Mescudi offering his talents as the Marine veteran Jackson Hollis.
In Ti West’s X, Mescudi delivers on his comedic experience and his star potential. The stereotypical 70s adult film star comes with its own character quirks, and Mescudi’s experience as a comedy actor lends well to the campy acting style that X showcases. Mescudi’s leading man qualities shine through his adult film persona, but aren’t enough to ensure his survival in the story. Although he failed to reprise his role beyond the first film, Scott Mescudi’s Mad Solar Productions would go on to produce the rest of the X trilogy.
Kid Cudi’s production company Mad Solar has also produced the Cudi-led Netflix series
Entergalactic
.
Related
Trap Ending: Lady Raven’s Piano Scene With The Butcher Explained By Star
Trap star Saleka Shyamalan explains Lady Raven’s piano scene with the Butcher near the end of the movie, revealing the importance behind what happens.
Trap Gives Kid Cudi A Very Different Horror Movie Role Than X
Beginning with his appearance on One Tree Hill in 2010, Scott Mescudi’s film and television roles mostly comprise guest appearances as his Kid Cudi person or some alternate version of a performing stage artist. His experience as an actual music superstar obviously informs the acting roles he chooses. However, Mescudi’s recent roles in X and Trap exemplify how the musician-actor has expanded his on-screen presence. Instead of playing virtually flat and forgettable characters, Kid Cudi has fully embraced his actor title, playing characters who inform the story world by leveraging the real-world Cudi persona.
Scott Mescudi’s The Thinker is clearly separate from the real Kid Cudi, but the character certainly draws from the performer’s experiences in the music industry.
While X converts this into an adult film star, M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap evolves his persona into a glamorized superstar pop diva. Scott Mescudi’s The Thinker is clearly separate from the real Kid Cudi, but the character certainly draws from the performer’s experiences in the music industry. In an interview with Empire, director M. Night Shyamalan admits to pulling inspiration from pop star Taylor Swift, admitting that he “[pitched] the film as ‘what if The Silence of the Lambs happened at a Taylor Swift concert.’” Mescudi’s experience working with some of music’s most polarizing acts undoubtedly fueled The Thinker’s nearly satirical representation of the pop star.
Source: Empire
Trap
3.0
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
- Cast
- Josh Hartnett , Hayley Mills , Marnie McPhail , Vanessa Smythe , Saleka Shyamalan , Malik Jubal , Jonathan Langdon , Peter D’Souza , Ty Pravong , Kaitlyn Dallan
