Of all the upcoming horror movies landing in theaters and streaming in 2024, few are fully embedded with expectations the way M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap does. The serial killer thriller is the director’s sequel to the polarizing 2023 Knock on the cabinalthough it was executive produced by Ishana Shyamalan’s daughter woody thriller The Observers in the meantime. The scene of the concert Trap sounds like a fairly simple high-concept affair on the surface, but its first trailer indicated that a more complex cat-and-mouse game will be at play.
Now we have the second full promo, which shows audiences that Josh Hartnett Cooper’s seemingly jovial dad is the film’s outlaw killer. a twist hinted at in the first trailer. So with this plot point made even more apparent in trailer #2, seen below, one has to wonder what TrapThe real twist(s?) will end up being. So join me below to get some probably excessive shots in the dark to guess what M. Night Shyamalan has in store for us with his latest “experience” on the big screen.
Twisty Information we already know
- There’s a killer named The Butcher on the loose, and Josh Hartnett’s Cooper looks very much like the Butcher.
- The concert Cooper and his daughter attend is supposed to be a massive police sting operation set up specifically to catch The Butcher.
Both of these details feel like huge revelations about a movie we didn’t know we were getting in the months leading up to the first trailer’s release. However, it’s easy to imagine that any other non-Shyamalan film would have ironed out these details from the jump, which makes them easier to incorporate as revelations that aren’t completely spoilery. Now from these probable events we jump into completely speculative territory!
Theory #1: Cooper’s daughter is in it
Considering we only know for sure two characters involved in the film, it’s so hard to guess both do they have secrets? Riley’s brief appearances make her seem so blissfully unaware of her father’s evil ways, which makes me even more suspicious. Telling him, “You’re acting strange,” could very well be just a show to all the passers-by. That moment looks like he’s caught messing with the fire alarm, but there’s no way of knowing if that actually plays out in the movie.
Theory #2: The entire place will be destroyed just to get Cooper
The concert at Trap takes place in the “Tanaka Arena”, which is a revamped version of the actual venue where the movie was filmed: Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Why not set the film in a real-world arena with real-world iconography? No doubt there are many reasons, but one might include something the actual location wouldn’t necessarily want associated with its name, such as a bombing or some other form of total destruction.
Theory #3: The Movie Title Isn’t Actually a “Trap”
While I understand that it would be a marketing nightmare to release a movie without revealing its actual title, one of the strangest elements of the trailer and marketing text is the way chunks of the letters are missing. It’s most noticeable when “TRAP” pops up dramatically before the full credits appear at the end, but it’s also prevalent in the middle when M. Night Shyamalan’s name and the previous credits appear. But why are parts of some of these letters missing?
As far as I can tell, the shapes don’t fit together to make a new word or anything, and the letters affected aren’t anagrams of anything related. I could easily make a mistake along the way, but if all of this is correct, then the only other outcome I can imagine is that the title of the film Trap it is also incomplete in some ways and that the true title will only be revealed upon watching.
Theory #4: Some sort of plot revolves around concert performer Lady Raven
Immediately after Traptrailer dropped, singer Saleka (who plays Lady Raven in the film) has released news about her upcoming album, which is called Lady Raven and is essentially the soundtrack of the film. At 14 songs, it’s definitely more of a legitimate project than curated jukebox soundtracks, and there wouldn’t be any reason to put all this effort and binding work into making this a full album unless Lady Raven and her music are native to plot in a way that isn’t just catchy background noise.
I’m also intrigued by Kid Cudi, who, as a guest on the album, appears in the trailer wearing a blonde wig. I hope this character isn’t just a background dancer, as the rapper is always fun to watch in scripted roles.
Theory #5: This is all just a VR treatment simulation
This seems as far-fetched as it gets, but it has some possible justifications. First, the characters are constantly looking directly into the camera, as if they’re talking to the “audience” instead of another character, and some moments appear to be full POV shots, something players are well used to by now. . Also, there’s a prominent emphasis on people holding up cell phones and taking photos/videos, with at least once the same kind of POV style happening. So while this may not indicate mobile games specifically, this one could sing in.
But the trailer also shows that the film doesn’t take place entirely inside the arena, showing us different snippets of Cooper’s life outside, and he looks a lot like someone suffering from one or more mental disorders. Maybe not at the same high level as the one that fell Division, but not necessarily so far removed from it. So we could consider this to be a species Inceptionvideo game style where Cooper believes he is involved in a real situation but is actually just incriminating himself for the authorities.
Theory #6: It’s a continuation of the sixth sense
To be fair, this isn’t really my theory, but one suggested by CinemaBlend’s Ryan LaBee, who walked away from the first trailer thinking that maybe Trap it is a stealth Sixth Sense Continuity via someone involved in following Cooper to the concert possibly helped by one or more of The Butcher’s victims. More clearly, than someone who sees dead people.
Apparently Haley Joel Osment hasn’t been announced as part of it Trapof the cast, otherwise this theory would be the biggest one out there. But even if we don’t see him return as an adult Cole using his haunting abilities in positive ways, there could be another character who also has the shine, so to speak. Danny Torrence, as I live and breathe!
While none of these theories may end up coming true, I can’t wait to see if any come even close Trap the 2024 film schedule is released on August 2.
