NEW YORK (OSV News) – Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan can be credited with a certain amount of originality in crafting his thriller “Trap.” And while the film as a whole is a strange mix of interesting twists and yawning improbabilities, there’s little on screen to deter older teens from diving into this cinematic grab bag.

Can a brutal serial killer successfully act as a suburban family man? For the seemingly devoted father Cooper (Josh Hartnett), the answer is yes. Among those who fall for his role is his typical teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue).

To reward Riley for an excellent report card, Cooper takes her to a concert by her favorite pop star, Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). While Riley is thrilled by the music, Cooper notices that there seem to be an unusually large number of police officers at the event.

Eventually he finds out that the authorities, led by profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), have received a tip-off to his whereabouts and now have him completely surrounded. Time for a quick think.

Is the idea that a psychopath can have healthy, loving relationships like Cooper does with Riley, his wife Rachel (Alison Pill), and his young son Logan (Lochlan Miller) fascinating or just absurd? The origin story of Cooper’s madness – he is haunted by visions of his overprotective mother (Marcia Bennett) – surely comes straight from Freud’s junk box.

So the plot seems more than a little convoluted. And the concert scenes drag on too long. But the plot is restrained, there are few offensive elements, and if there is a message at all, it is that decent people can be almost as resourceful as a murderous maniac.

The film contains adult themes, brief scenes of harsh violence, some bloody images, a few instances each of foul language and profanity, numerous milder curses, and a single harsh expression. The OSV News classification is A-III – Mature. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – Parents are strongly cautioned. Some content may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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