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1The lack of Shyamalan tradition could have made Trap much better

Summary

  • Catch
    lacks a major twist like in Shyamalan’s previous films, making the ending less exciting when there would have been more potential for a shocking finale.
  • The turn in
    Catch
    is more of an explanation than a surprise and adds context without having major impact.
  • A major turn in
    Catch
    could have made the story more dramatic and unpredictable, thus improving the overall experience.



Although there is plenty of mystery and suspense in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film CatchThe film lacks a tradition of filmmaking that could have made it much better. Josh Hartnett plays Cooper, who is secretly the notorious Butcher, a serial killer in Philadelphia. When he goes to a Lady Raven concert with his daughter to hear songs, he learns that the event is a trap for him. The film follows his further exploits as he tries to escape without the occupation of Catch to find out that he is the murderer that law enforcement is hunting.

While Catch The film is full of unanswered questions and mysteries right up until the end, maintaining suspense throughout as Cooper commits increasingly wild acts to escape. This includes several twists throughout the film that surprise with Hartnett’s character becoming the antagonist towards the end of the film. Despite the high level of intrigue and suspense throughout the film, A Shyamalan trademark is missing. Without her, the film would not have been as exciting at the end as it could have been.



The big twist in “Trap” is not as big as in Shyamalan’s previous films

The twist is more of an explanation than a surprise

At the end CatchIt is revealed that Cooper’s wife Rachel was the one who alerted the police to the possibility that he was the Butcher. This eventually leads to his arrest, but not before he can pull a spoke from his daughter Riley’s bike and use it to handcuff himself in the back of a SWAT vehicle. This twist provides context for how the operation was planned in the first place, and was also a hint at a possible Trap 2 with Cooper’s escape as a basis. This twist is very different from those in Shyamalan’s previous films.


Shyamalan’s plot twists are a trademark of his films and often place everything that has been seen up to that point in a new context. Catch is unique because its twist is not as big compared to those in films like The sixth sense or Old. Instead, the twist in his latest film serves to contextualize otherwise unknown information and explain how the police knew Cooper would be at the concert. Since this twist doesn’t change much about the film other than providing additional information, it’s not as impressive as other surprises from his previous works.

Trap needed a big twist to make the story more exciting

It feels like the film is missing a wild twist

Josh Hartnett's Cooper from Trap 2024 grins against a red background
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury


Although CatchThe story of works well as a suspenseful story about Cooper’s attempt to escape the police, but a major twist would have made the story much more exciting. Compared to other films by Shyamalan his latest thriller is much simpler and formulaicwhich leaves very little room for big surprises. The story is laid out from the beginning, meaning that every twist has to be kept within the context of the attempts to catch Cooper for his crimes as the Butcher.

But despite CatchAlthough the concert setting and straightforward premise make a major twist difficult, one could have been included to enhance the story and make it more unpredictable. Although there is so little scope for a shocking turn of events, However, a huge twist could have been considered to give the film a much more dramatic portrayal. Although it is not clear what this twist could have been, it would still have greatly benefited the story as a whole.


What should have been the big twist in Trap?

There were a few ways the film could have presented one

Josh Hartnett and Saleka in Trap
Custom image by Yailin Chacon

Although it would have been very difficult to maintain the exact premise of the film, Catch could still have contained an unpredictable twist at the end that changes the context of the film. One possibility would have been to reveal that Cooper was not the butcher after allbut another criminal who was worried about getting caught because of the circumstances. There could also have been more direct ideas that law enforcement knew who he was, perhaps because Lady Raven was more involved in the case than previously thought. Any of these ideas would have added to the unpredictability and drama of the thriller.


Although Catch still offers a gripping story that will appeal to anyone familiar with Shyamalan’s previous worksthe lack of a truly strong, shocking twist in the film makes it feel like a lot of potential was wasted. This is especially true given the director’s previous track record and the opportunities the film could have taken to create a more thorough surprise at the end. However, there are still many positive aspects of the film that keep it from becoming boring, even if there were other opportunities to strengthen the plot.

Catch
is still in theaters at the time of writing.


By Olivia

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