bclark-45143

I guess it may just be me, but I really don't understand how people keep giving M. Night Shyamalan millions of dollars to make movies like this. I suppose they make money for their investors at the box office. They MUST. What other reason can there be for continuing to finance such embarrassing garbage like this? I will say this: I was impressed by his daughter's voice and the songs she wrote for this, even though that pop genre is not something I particularly enjoy.

That's really the only good thing I can say about "Trap." If M. Night ever knew how to write dialogue or come up with a coherent, not ridiculous plot, he has lost those skills in "Trap." Gee, I wonder what the pie's all about? Gee, I wonder why he's allowed to stop at the bicycle? There wasn't much in this movie that you didn't see coming a mile away. It's not even enjoyable as an entertaining "bad" movie.

Don't get me wrong, I thought "The Sixth Sense" was terrific and had one of the greatest twists in movie history, but everything, and I mean EVERYthing he's done in the quarter-century since then, in my humble opinion, is pure unadulterated crap. He had one bullet in his gun, and it was one hell of a bullet, but dear god, when will it become clear that he ran out of ammunition decades ago?

I have had a "theory" for a long time that the success or failure of movies in this day and age can usually be directly related to the quality of the screenplay - usually the story or the plot. I mean, cinema technology nowadays is fantastic; editing, cinematography, special effects are all great, and acting is usually decent. But it really comes down to the story, doesn't it? I mean, it either makes sense and holds together or it doesn't, and that to my mind is the failure of "Nope".

"The Sixth Sense" was a tremendous movie with its once in a lifetime twist ending, but since then Shyamalan's output has been at best mediocre. I mean, come on, movies like "Signs" or "The Village" or "Lady in the Water" are cringe-inducing. How does this guy keep getting studios to put up millions of dollars for garbage like that? It really seems as though Shyamalan had the one great inspiration with "The Sixth Sense" and has made a career of people hoping he has another one like that in him.

I am a little concerned that Jordan Peele's career is following the same trajectory. "Get Out" was tremendous, a deservedly big hit and award winner, but he has not lived up to its standard with "Us" and "Nope".

I kept waiting for plot threads to come together and for the movie to stay true to its own internal logic, but it just didn't. This was one of those movies where, when it ends, you just kinda go "Wait! There must be something more to this. Is that really it?" Having said that, Peele does succeed in creating an atmosphere of forboding, and, just like "Us" I enjoyed watching it even though I was in the end disappointed. He has a LONG way to go before he reaches the depths to which Shyamalan has fallen; let's fervently hope he rights the ship long before then.