The True Story Behind M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, We’re Serious
M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap features a key story element based on a bizarre but true story. Although his new movie is a departure from some of his more intellectual portfolio, the central conflict is a satisfying cat-and-mouse spine-chiller based on the wild-but-true story of Operation Flagship, keeping Shyamalan’s twisty thriller reputation intact. The central premise–a trap set up by law enforcement to catch a killer– draws on the story of Operation Flagship, a real-life plot constructed by law enforcement to ensnare fugitives in Washington D.C. in 1985.
Trap Was Inspired By Operation Flagship
It seems like a completely made-up premise to have police trick a criminal into coming to an arena, but it turns out it’s not as outlandish as it seems. That’s because Shyamalan says the idea for the movie Trap actually came from Operation Flagship in which federal marshals and D.C. police fooled around 100 fugitives into going to the Washington Convention Center in D.C. to claim a fake prize.
Luring the criminals with the promise of free tickets to a Washington Redskins game and the chance to win tickets to the 1986 Super Bowl, the true story behind Trap is actually more outrageous than its fictional counterpart.
An Insane Plot That Actually Worked
In a prime example of truth being stranger than fiction, for Operation Flagship, police masqueraded as event staff, with female cops dressed as cheerleaders, police officers dressed as mascots, and the chief of the U.S. Marshals acting as the MC. To sort the fugitives into various categories, they were given color-coded balloons. The operation was considered a success, as all of the fugitives were caught, and it received legendary status that inspired the movie Trap because of the extravagant escapades that law enforcement officials carried out.
No Way Out
Set in a crowded arena, Trap takes the audience into a seemingly unlikely police operation in which they bait a serial killer called the Butcher into coming to a special performance by pop star Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan).
Sealing off the exits and requiring each adult male audience member to pass through a security checkpoint to leave, the pressure builds for Cooper (Josh Hartnett), who is a dad with his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue), but also the elusive serial killer. The police are determined to stop Cooper before he can slip out of their grasp again, infuriating FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills) in his frantic attempt to escape.
Creative Liberties Were Taken
There are obviously some big differences between Shyamalan’s Trap and Operation Flagship. In the movie, the whole thing is set up to catch one killer, not a dragnet to apprehend a whole group. In addition, the police were a lot more obvious in the movie than in the actual operation, and the event was staffed and attended by civilians, a practice that would endanger them and risk the operation’s secrecy.
The Father-Daughter Dynamic
The other big difference in Shyamalan’s story is that the event in question is a pop concert rather than a football game. The reason for this could be that Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka is a pop singer and this element of the story allowed him to write a role for her in Trap. However, the venue being a pop concert also allows for main character Cooper to have a rapport with his daughter Riley over her love of the pop star Lady Raven, giving his character more dimension, and an opportunity to be even more devious as the plot unfolds.
