M. Night Shyamalancontinues to work regularly in the thriller genre, delivering films with unpredictable narratives and big twists. The filmmaker's work in this genre dates back more than 25 years now, and his breakout film, The Sixth Sense (1999), still features one of the biggest narrative twists of his career. Not long after that seminal film, he delivered popular movies like Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), and The Village (2004).
Shyamalan didn't slow down in the 2010s and 2020s, however, and he affirmed his commitment to the thriller genre with titles including Split (2016), Glass (2019), Old (2021), and Knock at the Cabin (2023). Though many of Shyamalan's films become box office successes due to their modest budgets (which Shyamalan often self-finances), they do also sometimes prove divisive for audiences, with viewers divided on how effective the narratives and twists are. Shyamalan's most recent movie certainly fits into this camp.
Trap Ascends Beyond Mixed Reviews To Achieve Streaming Success
Only Two Titles Beat Shyamalan's Latest Film
After a divisive reception earlier this year, Shyamalan's Trap has become a big hit on streaming. Starring Josh Hartnett as Cooper, the 2024 thriller follows a father and his teen daughter as they attend a pop concert only to discover that the event is part of a scheme to catch a serial killer. As trailers revealed, Cooper ends up being the killer in question. Trap reviews were mixed, and the film currently has only a 58% critics score and 65% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was a modest box office success, grossing $82.7 million worldwide.
Director M. Night Shyamalan is known for his incredible filmography, from the critically panned After Earth to the acclaimed Unbreakable.
New data from Reelgood now reveals that Trap ranks as the third most popular movie on streaming for the week of October 24 – 30. The film, which is now streaming on Max, beats titles like Agatha All Along (2024), Don't Move (2024), The Penguin (2024), and Disclaimer (2024), but falls short of both Only Murders in the Building (2021–) and Woman of the Hour (2024). On the Reelgood chart that looks only at movies, Trap fares even better, coming in second place. Check out the top 10 movies and TV shows chart below:
Reelgood Top 10 Movies & TV Shows (Oct. 24 – 30)
1
Woman of the Hour
2
Only Murders in the Building
3
Trap
4
Agatha All Along
5
Don't Move
6
The Penguin
7
Disclaimer
8
Caddo Lake
9
High Potential
10
MaXXXine
Shyamalan also serves as a producer on
Caddo Lake
.
What Trap's Streaming Success Means For The Movie
Will There Be A Trap 2?
In keeping with many of Shyamalan's films, the Trap ending largely closes the door on this particular story, and it doesn't seem like he'll be making a sequel. Made on an estimated budget of roughly $30 million, the film was likely able to break even (especially with VOD performance factored in), but Shyamalan has already moved on to his next project. In a post on Instagram in September, Shyamalan shared an image of a red notebook and teased that he'll be using it to jot down ideas for his 17th feature film.
Trap's streaming success, however, does speak to Shyamalan's continued power as a filmmaker, as his name alone can be a draw for audiences. The film's marketing was effective, and those who missed it in theaters are evidently now checking it out from home. Even though Trap's reviews may not have been glowing, the film's performance bodes well for Shyamalan's next project.
Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner.
Release Date August 2, 2024
Studio(s) Blinding Edge Pictures , New Line Cinema
Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures , New Line Cinema
CastJosh Hartnett , Hayley Mills , Marnie McPhail , Vanessa Smythe , Saleka Shyamalan , Malik Jubal , Jonathan Langdon , Peter D'Souza , Ty Pravong , Kaitlyn Dallan
English (US) ·