M. Night Shyamalan’s Worst Movie Hits #1 On Max
Even to the most committed members of his fandom, it’s clear to many that filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has been spiraling into a pit of not-so-terrific movies. After all, when you gain recognition with a feature like The Sixth Sense, it will be difficult to keep the genius going for years to come. Recently, the director dropped his latest title, Trap, and we’ve got to say that it may be his worst movie yet. Luckily, audiences can determine this for themselves as the selection is now streaming on Max.
Trap Is M. Night Shyamalan’s Worst Film
Leaning back into his psychological thriller bread and butter, M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap takes the cake as the helmer’s worst movie for a multitude of reasons – please, join us for the deep dive. The plot is intriguing enough as it follows Cooper (Josh Hartnett), a father who takes his daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see her favorite pop star at a concert. The visionary behind The Sixth Sense and Signs has always been known for throwing in a twist or two, but the biggest one in Trap was given away in its first trailer.
Said trailer dropped the bombshell that Cooper is not just a dutiful husband and caring father but is also a psychopathic serial killer who law enforcement is attempting to corral (or trap) during this concert. That’s right, the title Trap is a nod to the direct plot and twist of M. Night Shyamalan’s worst movie. This was the feature’s first big miss for us but, upon viewing the production, things get much, much worse.
Josh Hartnett Chose The Wrong Role
After taking a break from Hollywood and coming back when he was ready to refocus himself on roles that he actually wanted to take, it’s hard to believe that this was the project that Josh Hartnett dug into. It’s difficult to gauge whether it’s the writing that does it or his performance but something about the over-the-top goody two-shoes act put on by Hartnett’s Cooper is enough for us to write off Trap as Shyamalan’s worst movie.
Once he discovers that the creative snare has been put in place for him, he starts to go to bizarre lengths (that even his daughter calls out) to evade capture and get out of the venue undetected.
For example, one scene sees the father-daughter duo, who are seated in floor seats, standing right next to a surprise performer who comes up through the arena’s floor via a secret door. Marking this as a possible escape route, Cooper suggests to his daughter that they hop down and help themselves to a behind-the-scenes tour.
This is just one of many examples that puts Trap at the top of the list as the critically acclaimed director’s worst movie. And, please don’t even get us started on the performances by M. Night Shyamalan and his daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan, as they were truly difficult to sit through.
Somehow Dominating Max
From these building blocks of terribleness, Trap marks itself as not just one of the worst movies from Shyamalan’s lengthy career but also of 2024. But don’t take our word for it, as you can now head over to Max to stream the latest movie to come from the mind behind Signs, Split, and The Sixth Sense.
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