Just got back from opening night of M Night Shyamalan’s newest movie, Trap.  So it’s a good time to write out some basic principles that guide my Shyamalan viewing.

1. As a storyteller, Shyamalan has more than earned my trust.  Some of my favorite movie moments have come from his filmography.  As a movie-goer, I will always be grateful that no one spoiled the twist of The Sixth Sense for me.  To get to have that moment in a packed theater was magical.  And then the opening text of Unbreakable?  Didn’t see that coming . . . just like I didn’t see that final scene in Split coming.
2. While he doesn’t always hit a grand slam, Shyamalan rarely strikes out.  I can think of two of the latter: the utterly forgettable Last Airbender adaption and the nigh-unforgivable Glass.  And even his more frustrating movies have great, heartfelt moments (here’s looking at you, The Happening).
3. You have to let Shyamalan play by his own rules, let him tell the story he wants to tell.  That can be frustrating, particularly because he became known for massive “twists” early on.  There are times where a particular story goes on too long or tries too hard to explain itself or to make sure things are as close to air-tight as possible.  Regardless, you have to let him tell his story.
4. I’ve learned that I may not love the finished product, but rarely will I hate it.
5. I’ve also learned to stay as far away from preview material as possible.  Going in with a clean slate is almost a requirement for me when walking into a new Shyamalan picture.

So what about Trap?  It’s difficult to say anything at all without giving something away.  I will say that, as always, there are some wonderfully human moments.  And there’s some real tension, some real escalation in the story.  But once again: see principle #3 above.

I suppose it’s possible to classify Shyamalan movies on how big of a swing he ultimately takes, mostly when it comes to a kind of social or genre commentary.  That would make Trap a mid-level swing: some nice social commentary moments with good stakes but not on the same level as, say, Signs.  But then that doesn’t seem totally fair.  The acting is solid (and surprising, as there were people in the cast that I didn’t know were in the movie until the opening credits- definitely a pleasant surprise).  In some key ways, spoiler here, the movie is a lot like Split, particularly in one key moment of dialogue by the movie’s main character.  (Speaking of Signs, tomorrow is the day of the year where I show a favorite clip to my students- it’s a great worldview moment that I like to share).

Trap is a good addition to Shyamalan’s filmography.  There are a couple of things that set it apart from his other more down-to-earth movies.  It might not be the kind of movie you watch over and over again, but it’s definitely a movie worth seeing once, for sitting back and watching unfold.  And, as always, to enjoy watching a storyteller do what he loves.