Summary

• Trap lacks a big twist like Shyamalan's previous films, making the ending less exciting when there was more potential for a shocking finale.
• The twist in Trap is more of an explanation than a surprise, adding context without a major impact.
• A bigger twist in Trap could have made the story more dramatic and unpredictable, enhancing the overall experience.

Although there's plenty of mystery and suspense throughout M. Night Shyamalan's latest movie cast of Trap figuring out that he's the murderer law enforcement is hunting down.

While Trap boasts unanswered questions and mysteries right up until its final moments, the movie maintains plenty of suspense throughout as Cooper commits increasingly wilder acts in order to escape. This includes multiple turns throughout the movie, which surprises by turning Hartnett's character into the antagonist near the final part of the film. However, despite the high levels of intrigue and suspense throughout the movie, there's one staple of Shyamalan that's missing. Without it, the movie wasn't as exciting as it could have been by the time the ending rolled around.

Trap’s Major Twist Isn’t As Big As Shyamalan’s Previous Movies

The Twist Is More Of An Explanation Than A Surprise

At the potential Trap 2 using Cooper's escape as the basis. However, this twist is very different from those seen in Shyamalan's previous movies.

Shyamalan's movie plot twists are a staple of his films, often recontextualizing everything that's been seen up until that point. However, Trap is unique because its twist isn't as big compared to those in movies like The Sixth Sense or Old. Instead, the twist in his latest film serves to offer context to otherwise unknown information, explaining how law enforcement knew Cooper would be at the concert. Because this twist doesn't change much about the movie other than being some additional information, it's not as impressive as other surprises from his previous works.

Trap Needed A Big Twist To Make Its Story More Exciting

The Movie Feels Like It's Missing A Wild Story Turn

Even though Trap's story works just fine as a suspenseful tale of Cooper trying to evade law enforcement, a bigger twist would have made the story much more exciting than it is. Compared to other Shyamalan movies, his latest thriller is much more simple and by-the-numbers, offering very little room for major surprises. The story is laid out right from the start, meaning any twist would have to be maintained within the confines of trying to catch Cooper because of his crimes as the Butcher.

However, despite Trap's concert venue setting and straightforward premise making a major twist more difficult, one still could have been implemented in order to better the story and make it more unpredictable. Despite how little wiggle room there is for a shocking turn of events to transpire, a massive twist still could have been considered to make the movie much more dramatic in presentation. Although it's unclear what this twist could have been, it still would have been to great benefit of the story overall.

What Should Trap’s Big Twist Have Been?

There Were A Few Ways The Film Could Have Presented One

Although there would have been great difficulty in maintaining the exact premise of the film, Trap still could have showcased an unpredictable twist altering the film's context by the end. One possibility would have been to reveal Cooper wasn't the Butcher after all, but instead another criminal worried about getting caught as a matter of circumstance. There also could have been more direct ideas about law enforcement knowing who he was, perhaps through Lady Raven being more heavily involved with the sting than previously anticipated. Any of these ideas would have bolstered the unpredictability and drama of the thriller.

Even though Trap still boasts a suspenseful story that will please anyone familiar with Shyamalan's previous works, the movie's lack of a really strong, shocking twist makes it feel like some potential was wasted. This is especially true because of the director's track record, alongside the options the film could have taken to craft a more thorough surprise by the end of the film. However, there are still plenty of positives about the movie that keep it from being stale, even if there could have been some other ways to bolster its storyline.

Trap is currently still playing in theaters as of writing.