M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap Is the Serial-Killer Thriller Taking Over Netflix

So here’s a twist Shyamalan himself could appreciate: one of his most divisive movies is now back in the spotlight thanks to Netflix, of all places. If you missed the debates the first time around, ‘Trap’ – yes, the serial killer-at-a-pop concert one with Josh Hartnett – is suddenly a streaming hit despite a pretty average critical reception. Goes to show that with Shyamalan, it’s never really over; it just moves platforms.

‘Trap’ – From Oddball Cinema to Netflix Hit

Here’s the rundown: back in 2024, M. Night Shyamalan dropped ‘Trap,’ another entry in what is by now a wildly inconsistent filmography. This one landed right in between his best (‘Unbreakable,’ ‘The Sixth Sense’) and his, um, not-best (‘The Last Airbender,’ ‘After Earth’). Predictably, critics and audiences split down the middle. Rotten Tomatoes still has it parked at 56% which, for Shyamalan, basically means business as usual.

But here’s what’s not so predictable: after two years of relative quiet, ‘Trap’ is now sitting at number 7 on Netflix’s list of most-watched movies worldwide. Not bad for a movie that half the internet was roasting when it came out.

Thriller Premise with Shyamalan’s Signature Weirdness

In ‘Trap,’ Josh Hartnett plays Cooper, who seems like your standard devoted single dad, tagging along to a Lady Raven (fictional pop diva, and no, your Spotify isn’t missing anything) concert with his teenage daughter. But the wholesome vibes get weird fast. Cooper clocks an unusual amount of cops all over the arena, and something just isn’t right.

Turns out, Cooper isn’t just some random concert dad. He’s actually the Butcher, a notorious serial killer. The cops are here for him, and the entire event is a sting operation meant to catch this guy in a crowd of thousands.

What follows is a tense game of hide-and-seek. Cooper can’t blow his cover with his daughter, the authorities are closing in, and even the punk-pop star onstage gets suspicious about what’s going down in the crowd.

About Those “Twists”

Let’s address the obvious – Shyamalan’s been haunted by his own reputation since ‘The Sixth Sense’. Everyone walks in expecting a crazy narrative flip. But with ‘Trap,’ the so-called twist is right there in the premise: you know from the jump that Hartnett’s character is the killer, and the hiding-in-plain-sight setup is the hook.

Does that mean there are no wild revelations to freak out about this time? Pretty much. But surprisingly, this isn’t a dealbreaker – both Netflix viewers and original ticket buyers seemed to get on board anyway. In fact, ‘Trap’ managed to claw in $83.6 million at the box office, which isn’t blockbuster territory but definitely proves there’s still an audience for these Shyamalan oddities.

‘I think people expect me to have some wild rug-pull ending in every single movie – sometimes the setup is the twist.’ – M. Night Shyamalan (paraphrased)

A big reason for the movie’s success? Josh Hartnett, who finally gets room to dig into a meaty role after spending years as “that underrated guy from the early 2000s.” He plays the duality of Cooper with a straight face, and you weirdly end up rooting for him even if you know you really, really shouldn’t.

Quick Look: The Main Cast

• Josh Hartnett as the double-life dad/serial killer, Cooper
• Shyamalan’s standard oddball supporting cast (yep, he pops up in a cameo too, per usual)
• Lady Raven, the fake superstar who becomes suspicious, but don’t bother Googling her – she’s just for the movie
• Hartnett’s on-screen daughter – providing emotional stakes and innocence to counteract all the murder stuff

All things considered, ‘Trap’ is Shyamalan doing what he does best: dividing the room, getting people talking, and refusing to disappear from the streaming charts. Another weird chapter in the M. Night story, but one that apparently still has legs.